President should order expulsion of raggers

I read with great interest Dr. W. Y. Rambukwella’s excellent article, “Expulsion, not suspension, should be minimum punishment for raggers” (Sunday Times, January 22, 2012). I am most thankful to the learned physician for his candid thoughts.

I have an axe to grind with university raggers. Let me explain.

When my only daughter reached school-going age, well over five decades ago, I rented an annexe at No. 8, Gomes Path, Bambalaptiya, so that she would qualify for admission to Visakha Vidyalaya, just a threeminute walk from our home. I was successful in having my daughter admitted to Visakha. She was a student of the school from kindergarten up to the Advanced Level, and she qualified to enter university.

In the meantime, a female student at the Peradeniya campus who was ragged jumped off an upper floor and was permanently and totally disabled. She later committed suicide. I was shocked and distressed. I then decided that I would not send my daughter to a “hell hole” called a university.

Instead, my daughter fol-

I then decided that I would not send my daughter to a “hell hole” called a university.”

lowed a course at the Institute of Bankers and qualified. She found employment at the Sampath Bank. Some time later, on her way home, she and her husband had a narrow escape from a bomb explosion in Rajagiriya. Three female employees of the same bank lost their lives in the blast. As a result, I decided to send my daughter overseas.

Many years ago, I wanted to appeal to the authorities to sack all raggers, but lacked the courage to do so, fearing I would incur the wrath of these same raggers.

In my twilight years, I am elated that someone like Dr. Rambukwella has called for the sacking of raggers. I join him in appealing to the people’s President to order that raggers be sacked from the universities with one stroke of his pen. The pen, they say, is mightier than the sword. Nanda Nanayakkara

Matara