An Open letter to VC and Council of Univ. of Colombo; Return of Degree Certificate

“Buddhi Sarvathra Bhrajate, in Sanskrit“wisdom Enlightens, the motto of the University of Colombo has been truly lived up to by many of her graduands at the recently concluded Convocation. Myself, a graduate of this prestigious university, count it an honour and joy to belong to the tradition they enacted, and am unable to contain the pride and praise I have them for showing the world our lived out proof of this motto. Kudos to them for doing this in a day and age where political patronage is the name of the game for any who aspire to climb the ladder of success!

I do not want to be associated with an institution which does not consider it as completely inappropriate that a person who so utterly personifies political patronage, is afforded the singularly prestigious position of its Chancellor

Ever since the day the new Chancellor was appointed however, this honour I have in my degree certificate and the prestige I counted as mine, has turned sour. I do not want to be associated with an institution which does not consider it as completely inappropriate that a person who so utterly personifies political patronage, is afforded the singularly prestigious position of its Chancellor. Of all those good teachers of the way of Gautama Buddha, for the University of Colombo to allow the appointment of this particularly politically tarnished prelate as its ceremonial head, meekly and without letting their discontent be known to the authorities, is cringeworthy and insults the intelligence of its many sons and daughters over its rich centuryold history.

With saddened heart therefore, I am compelled to return my Degree Certificate as the least I could do in solidarity with the clear message sent by the courageous graduands at last week’s convocation. I stand in solidarity with them and the thousands of former graduates of this once prestigious university, to condemn this deplorable, despicable and dishonourable act by the government and its representatives on the Council of the University.