Transcription
Welcome to Shh the talk show, season 03. If you believe in the conversations we are trying to create here, please subscribe to our channel, as that will help us get more reach. If you watch the YouTube pre-roll ads before this episode in completion, that also helps us make a little bit of money. That helps us to go a long way. Our show is now available in 03 languages, so you can click on your subtitle of choice, whether it's Sinhala, Tamil, or English. You can follow this conversation wherever you are in Sri Lanka. And we also welcome you to continue these taboo conversations with us on our social media, which is Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And also our blog posts coming out and our articles in the Sunday morning newspaper. Enjoy the show!
Welcome back to the Shhh the talk show. We are in a lovely little spot here today. And I'd like to thank our location sponsor for this episode. It's a place in Nugegoda called The Grove. And it's, as you can see, it's like a really nice little alfresco spot. And they've got a couple of different kinds of restaurants here. So it's like an outdoor food court concept, but it's really chilled and it's really nice. We're gonna talk about an issue that has been around in Sri Lanka for years and years and years, has been picked up by the media for years and years and years. But for some reason, it is also still taboo, even though everybody's talking about it. Ahhh, nothing's really been done about it. And it's almost, it's like taboo to the victims of this issue. And I'm talking about ragging. I'm talking about ragging. And it is a subject that whilst I have read about, I don't have personal experiences on. So I have three people around me today who have had different kinds of experiences with this subject. And I'm so grateful because a lot of people who go through this or experience ragging are not willing to talk about it. So I'm really, really happy that you all have come. The gentleman over here is Devaka. And I know you have written about your experience on social media, and I do want to talk to you about it at length. And Devaka is also sort of now speaking up against it and trying to fight against it. And he's someone who also in his university years spoke out. And that's again, why he has had negative experiences is because he talked about this taboo. And then we have Eesha over here. And Eesha is also someone who has had direct experiences with ragging, and is also trying to work with the universities to try and address this issue. Uma over here, again, not someone who has had the direct experiences of ragging as Devaka and Eesha had, but has been directly affected by ragging as a student.
When I joined in 2015, my father is also from the University of Colombo. So he knew about these things. So at the beginning, he told me, don't take a side. Don't be, because they in the, in our faculty, there was a specific group, which was anti-rag, and there was a group that was ragging. But my father said, don't take a side. In the first year, you stay neutral as long as possible. So mainly the hostellers are the people who are ragging, who get involved in this, because they have no choice, because inside the hostel it is always happening. So that's the place where it happens mainly. And it's because these are kids who come from outside the city. (The male speaker speaking concurrently - mostly all of them) And so that, that whole thing of do you belong, or don't you belong? And to belong, you have to go through what everybody else goes through? Yeah. Yes. So, mainly those people are from outstations. And they find English difficult. They find understanding lectures difficult. So that's why I tried to stay neutral and like help them with their lectures. And there's kuppi. What is kuppi? Kuppi is where you at the end of the semester, you teach what the lecture taught, in Sinhala, like in one or two days, you finish the whole, whole semester. Right. So, so those I have done in the first year for all the students. But in spite of all of that, in this, when I entered the second year, I had to take, I had to take a side, as in I had to either tell the juniors who came into the faculty, the first years, that year when I was in the second year, the first years, I had to tell them either don't get involved in this or get involved in this. And I couldn't say ‘get involved in ragging’. So I had to say, this is the way you can sort of avoid it.
Were you ragged when you were a 1st year? So the way our faculty works is the second years, protect the first years. Because the second years who are on the other side, who want these rag will only rag. So then we are the second, we are equal to… we are their same batch mates. So you can either be the guardians or the this. In our, in our campus, that is very specific to the science faculty. It's not even in other faculties of the University of Jayawardanapura, it's only our faculty. So at that point, I decide I chose to not be involved and protect them. So mainly the ragging doesn't happen in the first year because the second years take it on for you. When you're in the second year and further, then only the effects come to you. In our faculty you are not ragged in the first year, the second years will protect you. But when you become when you try to protect the first years, then only you get you get ragged by your peers then, they are all other second years. So it is not exactly ragging, we get assaulted. I mean, I don't know what. So ragging is a thing that they think you get to tell them to do something, and something. But what I faced was not that. So when I was protecting them, when I told them stuff. So if you told the wrong person, if one of the hostellers heard what you said, and I said don't go to this, don't get involved. If he tells their seniors, then it's a problem. So then it's a problem for me.
So you were beaten up? Yeah, so in the second year, like right after their orientation, they came looking for me after a lecture. And so the problem is that, there are about, they come with about 10 or 12 people. You can't do anything. So you have to just…. You were alone? Yeah, so, so that in my second year, it happened twice. Once when I was going for football. After that, so during that whole time I was, I did not change. But a lot of people who, there were some people who saw, saw me getting assaulted, they started not speaking about it. And that was their, that was their objective. One of their objectives was to show them ‘this is what happens if you follow this guy’. For me, it was like, told me that I was doing the right thing. So one thing I want to say is that this is not first year, like, it goes out throughout. So it was third year. It was a bit less, but still they did not, usually after the second year they don't come looking for people, but with yours it continued? Yeah, because, so normally they tell even when the anti rag people go to second, third year, fourth year, they, the seniors or the lecturer say you don't get involved in this. This now for the other people, don't get involved. Don't talk about this. But then I never stopped. So then it like then you became a nuisance to them. Yeah. Yeah. So, my first one I did not take any action. I told my father there’s no point that they, not only me there were other people in the faculty. Most of the people in the faculty were assaulted but nothing happened about it. But the second time it happened, it was while I was going for football practice, and that time, it was a bit worse because there were about… it was after one of their, I don't know what to call that bucket or something.
What is that? What’s a bucket? Bucket is when it's for them the ragging period is over. So they kind of collect all the I don’t know, this is what happened in my university, they collect all like water that people have washed their hands off and like all the like kunuwathura, so to speak, and they dunk it on you. And that signifies that your initiation period is over. Okay. Right. And then sometimes there is something called, Mal bucket which follows. So then, you know, that marks the end of ragging. And with Mal bucket they put in like flowers and just like bath you with that. For the second time. So when they were coming off after that, there were about 50 of them that time. That time I avoided serious injury, I think because my teammates like they came and like, seriously helped me out, otherwise, it would have been a big mess. When I went to the dean with my father, that Dean has been, had had been studying with my father abroad in Cardiff. So he knew me well. So when my father went and said, this happened, he was like, you put an entry to the police and to the proctor’s office, we will take action, we'll sack the people. So that's what he said. So we did that. We got the numbers from him and put the complaint. But about a week later, I get a call from the dean, and I'm called into their office, the same guy. And that time the people who assaulted me were there. And that time he says, why don't you remove these these ahh he is, why don't you remove this this? This guy's like going to get special otherwise, you're gonna mess that up for him or something. Though it's the same guy. You mean the ragger? Yeah. So to, to ensure that the ragger still got his accreditations and recognition, you have to shut up. The funny part was that he's the one who told put this. And then he told...
So you think the Dean was pressured by the raggers’ parents and things like that? Not parents, raggers parents don't know what happened. So it's the Union, the union is under antharé, that is IUSF. So was he expelled? No inquiry, no inquiry even happened. In my third year, so I think, was the time that the Vice Chancellor was coming up for reappointment. So he spoke to Rupavahini and made a big statement saying “I'm against these people, people who rag are mentally disabled dis-, whatever I don't know.” So he did not do anything for any of these things. So I put a comment on that Rupavahini post saying “You're lying. This is truth of the university.” And the next day in the night, I get a call from him saying, remove the Facebook comment. And you were still a student? Yeah, yeah. So at that point, I had to do that. I mean, I had I changed this thing to make it sound positive. Like, “let's hope that he will do something.” Like I didn't totally remove it, but I changed it in a way that it would sound positive. Yeah, it sounded positive, like “Ah Okay, you’re gonna make a change now. Let's see what happens.”
So, I'm sorry. You went through that. I can relate because there are aspects of it, where when I did initially talk talk about this experience that happened in September 2016. And I was told, ‘aren’t you ashamed as a woman to talk about this?’ As a woman. I like that, as a woman. Why? Like oyata lajja nadda, ganu kenek washayen oyata lajja nadda megana katha karanna… And I was like, No, because at that point, I think I was done. I was just done. And when I started my university initially, they didn't know that I was a first year student, but I think because of my stature, so shout out to my parents for that. With confidence, and stuff like that. Yeah. And I, everyone, thought it was like a new lecturer or something like that. Oh wow! It happens a lot! This is like the law faculty? No, no, this is, again, state university. And, but at the end, I think they got it because I wasn't fitting in anywhere. I was walking through arts faculty, even though I was from law, because that's where we had our other classes. And my first instance was I was locked in the girls bathroom at the end of university where people had left, and I'm claustrophobic. So I had a panic attack. And we are in a situation where that area is next to the photocopy center. So there's zero signal. The phones just crackle up. And then I think about 15 to 20 minutes of knocking on the door screaming and then one of my friends’ probationary lecturer who I had made friends with from English department came and she's the one who got me out. And then that was my initial run in and then...
So did you know who did it? As in, were there some sort of incidents that led up to that? No, nothing at all. It was just really random and random, and it just happened. And that was in the first year. And you always feel like people following you, women following you. And that really struck me as you know, I mean, why? It's women against women. You would expect some sort of support. But this happened. The thing that actually just, I don't know, both broke me and kind of pulled me over the edge was the fact that happened in 2016. September was I was in my second year, me and another friend of mine, and my friend was in the fourth year. I was sitting there and we were sitting in the, one of the main canteens, which is famously, it's called the gemba canteen, which is famously for the ragging community. And they have their headquarters on the upper floor. And seven of them sat in front of, one was standing right here. And seven of them were there. And then they started talking amongst themselves, but loud enough so that I would hear. And they were describing my physical attributes, my assets. And from that point onwards, they started explicitly explaining how they'd raped me. And how they would rape me anally and whether I would like it. And then they started, like, they farted, they pretended to vomit into our food, they were talking about the kottu they had and diarrhea and everything. And this kept happening. Now I can't get up and go, because there's someone here. And my friend is next to me. And she's frozen. Like, she's just frozen. And I'm probably, I don't know, there was a time I blamed myself for it, because I was probably bigger than all of them. And, but you can't, it's just, it's just there. And the other people around heard all this? They, they were laughing, and I heard them laugh, and umm and they don't think, like, what if you're explaining this to someone who's already been raped? What if you're explaining this to someone who's already been sexually assaulted, and they don't, and they kept going on. And finally something snapped. And I was like, we are leaving. I was at a complete loss of what to do. There was one lecturer who I will always, always love, Professor Parakrama. And I went up to him and I said, this happened. And then he said, Can you remember their faces? And I don't know whether this was a victim thing. At the moment, I could only remember two, just two. And then that guy, one of them had come up behind me to Professor Parakrama’s office, and I saw him and when he was about to go, I told him that was one of them. Not the main person, but that was one of them. And then he immediately went and got him down. And when they realized that he was a junior, and when they realized that he was going to get into trouble. The main one showed up so that I would, you know, remember him. And I did. But before like when all of that happened, Prof Parakrama said, if you want to go, you can go. And I left. I couldn't. Because it was over a year of like when you enter university, you don't feel like I'm going to have fun today, I'm going to have a nice time with my friends. It's like, how am I going to survive? And I think you can relate to that. How am I going to survive? Because I never went in wanting to take a side. I too was teaching people like you did. And their idea was that you're from Colombo, you speak English, you're privileged, so you're automatically looking down on me. And I never had that with anyone, not even today. I don't have that with anyone. But I did start looking down on them when they did that thing to me and to anybody else that they deem that is the automatic enemy. And then I came home, I called my parents and I do come from a privileged background. I admit that. I was in a position where if I call my dad, my dad would send the vehicle and I would be out. And I told him, I can't do this. I've been going through this, I've been, I went into clinical depression, I went into a psychiatrist, and this happened, I can't do this, I want to stop. And it hurts me to say that because I was the only person from my family at that time who got into university. And for that to be taken away. And I told them and they said, No, it's okay. You know what? We'll come and get you. But think about what you want to do. And I did what I did best, which is right. I wrote about it. I put it out on Facebook around, I think 2pm. One hour passed, I get calls from people like is this you? Is this you? This has happened to you and I'm like what, and apparently I was going viral, I was trending. And then actors started sharing it. Politicians started sharing it. UGC called me. They asked me what I want to do. And the thing is, I wanted to lodge a police complaint, because it's textbook sexual harassment, intimidation, all of it. But when I was going to do that, I was told by people who had experienced this before, put a police complaint, and the university will wash his hands of you completely. And I said no, for once in their life, I want them to take action, I want them to look me in the face and say, Okay, we're gonna do something about it. And the UGC had called the administration and said, this is happening, this is going trending, look into this. And they did have one inquiry, they did bring that, the couple of the guys that were around three guys, and they made me write everything down, again, another time, with specific words. And those are not even words I'd heard before I wrote it down, and they asked me whether I should be going for mental health evaluations, not the perpetrators. And what the Antharé did was, so that he would avoid the next inquiry or whatever action, they, what they do is generally they make them go out from university for like three weeks till everything dies down, and they get to come back and they finish and they pass, they graduate and all that. And I had that one inquiry and, and that it broke my heart because when I went and sat with my friends who had been in the university, who knows about the university that said that the most we've had ever done, gotten done for us for what we went through. And after that, I I don't know I just stopped being scared. I didn't care. I was like, I walked into.
But was there any sort of revenge being taken on you for speaking out? Oh, yeah. Like Yes, of course. Like they didn't physically do anything to me, I don't think because they knew my father was from the army. So I did have that protection. But that is again a privilege to me because that protection is not for everybody. But I later had screenshots sent to me when I had come out with it from my, in my, in my own batch who said that I deserved that I deserve to be raped, because I am privileged because I have this because I came in the car the first day or whatever. And there was a group. Fairly popular social work group in university circles Rotaract. So one member from Rotaract, Peradeniya, had said, because I spoke out against it that I had shamed and tarnished the university. So whenever he sees me next that he's going to rape me because of what I said. I want you parents to know that this is what your kids are going through. And if they're telling you that they want to come home, at least listen to them, get them home and ask them what is wrong? And I don't believe anyone should be robbed of their opportunity to study. I don't think so. But what are you there for? Are you there to study or are you there to mentally break apart somebody? Because we have had suicides, we have had people just leaving up and leaving. And every parent no matter what background they come from, they give so much to get their child into university. Just because someone lives in Colombo doesn't mean that they have assets in Colombo. Like how many people do we know who just moved to get that address so that they can get their child into a Colombo school? So they all, they might be from outstation. But each one of us fought for our place there. I’m sure some of us might have been more privileged to get better teachers. But we all fought. And I don't know why they get this idea that because we speak English. And because we come from this place that we are looking down on them. I went in happy that I would meet people who I would never meet in my normal life. And I was lucky enough, at least in my third and fourth years, to find two friends who were not really from Colombo, there was only one from Colombo. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with this country? Sometimes. On the one hand, we have this dichotomy in the country, right? On the one hand, we're so protective of our own right. And it's like, we are a familial community, a tribal community. And if you know somebody has an accident on the street, the whole neighborhood is there to help the person out. And at the same time, you have this vile kind of attitude, this social, I don't know what to call it, it's like we're all such criminals in the way we treat people who dare to go against the grain. And I'm very aware of the fact that I was a person who spoke out and I know, because after that happened, like people used to, like, didn't want to speak about it, they would like message me or find me some way and say, Look, this is happening. Can you do something about it? But I'm just one person. Yeah. And, but you are doing something about it. Yeah, even when I left university, I think I went to university once after graduation to get my documents sorted. And then again, when I went through the anti ragging area, we have a separate area where that's the only area you can be in anywhere else, you are open game. So we went there, and then I went there. And then they came up to me and said, Akki, this is happening, can you do something? There had been a girl who had been raped in university, and she and her mother had come in front of the administration building and said that they were going to commit suicide. And even then there is no inquiry, even then, those students get to graduate. For what they do. If we don't hold them accountable, you are simply validating. You can't come with this, Okay, I haven't been a university student. I'm not in university administration, but I'm a human being okay. And like, the base thing is I'm a human being and if somebody is violating somebody else, you can't say ane sin men, let him pass letting him, you know that I would be ruining his future. He's already doing somebody else's.
Now you said, you can be a ragger, or you can be an anti ragger. There's this term that I was told, it's called ‘Ala’. That your Ala if you're not, a ragger. So in our faculty, it's a bit different. In our faculty, there is the, the science faculty Union is anti rag. The union, our faculty Union. Isn't that a big deal, though, if the union is anti rag? Yeah, but in the university the antharé is there. No, they control all the other other faculties. So this was mainly after the death of Samantha. Samantha was killed in 2002, if I'm not wrong. So his brother was in, he was in the management faculty, but his brother was in the science faculty. So he's the one who fought for this and somehow made the union anti rag and to this day, it is anti rag. So because of that, if you're with the union, you have a one name. If you are with the raggers, you have another name. And there are some in our faculty who don't take either of these sides, they are only called Ala in our university. So they are like the neutral people. But I was being told that the Ala’s don't get privileges like you can't go for certain events. And you can't take part in certain things if you don't want to be a part of this. Or that, or that kind of happens automatically. What happens is when you uhhh when you're a, now what the approach I took was, I wanted to be peaceful as possible, I wanted to go in and go get out. That was my approach. But that's kind of sad, right? That student just doesn't want to enjoy the best of what a university experience has to offer. Because we have so much to offer. Like honestly, I have been to a private university and to a government University. And I can tell you, the government University gives you a different kind of experience. It's more authentic, there is more recognition, like even among the general population. So there are many people who like to volunteer at these universities, there's so much you can get out of it. But I think my university life or the experience was cut short, or, you know, I was deprived of so much I could have done and could have been due to the fact that I was afraid of being victimized, you get it?
That's one approach. So during the, what happened is during my first year, that is when you get ragged. I used to skip classes, or I used to go every other day so that I don't get noted. And then even I used to plan my attire in such a way one day I would wear skirts so that they can't say meya skirts adinne naha. Some days I used to like surprise, like wear jeans. Somedays I wear skirts, so I have to confuse them. To avoid them. Why do you have to like plan this and strategize? Exactly. When you get into an institution, the university or a new workplace. When you start off, you're worried anyway, you're anxious, you're trying to fit in, you're trying to, you know, get accustomed to the culture that is there. There is so much you have to do. Now, especially when it's a State University, it is so large. So locating a building itself takes a lot of time and a lot of effort. So there is that to do, start talking to your lecturers, there is so much to do, instead of focusing on what you're in university for. And instead of enjoying the experience, here, we are constantly watching our backs saying, Oh my God, is somebody coming? Is he a Third year? Is he coming to rag me? Sometimes they don't even, they're not even doing that. But you're constantly worried, you're constantly under pressure. And so I used to leave classes early. Because what happens is when you finish a class, and everybody comes out of it together, and then as you exit the class, these boys would come. Yeah. And then they're like, ah koheda yanne, and you know, that's when the ragging happens. So what I used to do is I used to excuse myself 10 minutes before class and leave, and then they started coming early. So I used to leave even earlier, or I would come into a class late. I had to use so much of tactics, I had to strategize so much, just so that I could have an education. That doesn't make sense, right. You're in university because you worked hard, and you're there to enjoy it and reap the benefits of it. So you were never, weren’t you ever sort of invited to be a ragger or no, take a position? So at uh I don't know. Did you all also have common? Kasé? No. Okay. So there is this thing called common. And this is the area where they had Kasa gas. So that's called Kase. And people like to go to Kase during their lunch break, compulsory. And that is when they used to, like, identify people and know who is who. And then it used to be called introducing the subculture. And I mean, I think they did teach like, you know, certain kavi and certain slogans they were supposed to follow. And they did that. But while doing that they used to give like, you know, like filth, you know, kavi made out of filth. And they used to get people to say certain things, do certain things. And they kind of slowly initiated the ragging by getting everybody to get together at the common meeting, or the kase. And so what I did was I avoided kase or like common completely, as a result, I didn't get ragged. But as a result, I also missed out on, got noted...got noted by my own peers. So what happened was, I never got ragged by seniors, but because I was avoiding ragging, and I did that successfully, once. When I was walking out of class, about seven boys, they just came and they rounded me up. And there was one particular boy, he knew I wasn't getting ragged. And he used to, like, constantly watch me Follow me have, you know, he used to take notes of where I was, what I did was.
That's super scary, though. That's what I'm saying. So don't know when something will happen. Exactly. Exactly. So that's what I'm saying. Sometimes it's not the act of ragging. But it's the effect of ragging and that culture, the anxiety it creates. So these boys surrounded me, the intimidation. Yeah. And they asked me Well, ai oya hithanne, aiy oyata rag wenna bari anik ayata wenna puluwan nam oya coalbin nisada? They think that’s the thing. And I was from Colombo, mama colombin was the last thing I had in mind, you know, it didn't matter at all. And then they confronted me why I couldn't get ragged. I was so afraid. So when I walked away, I constantly I kept looking behind I was I had to keep looking back to see if they were following me, or if they would physically assault me. So I just got home as soon as I could. But I kept constantly looking behind my shoulder watching my back, because I was apprehending danger. And I don't think anybody who goes to university should be having that sort of anxiety. I mean, I am, I am a toughy. Right? So I could take it. But how many people are there? Who can’t take it? In Sri Lanka, girls are taught to fear anyway, right? You're brought up to fear everybody around you. And a lot of girls who come from not so privileged backgrounds who come from like that whole thing, have they been conditioned to be shy, to be quiet, to just take whatever, they might even come from abusive backgrounds themselves. They come from underprivileged backgrounds, and it's like a, it's like a different level of overwhelming, right? When you come in there. And if something happens to you, and they don't have the fathers, they don't have the friends groups, they don't they don't have the Or even the exposure and the understanding, to know what to do, to have that confidence that okay, somebody will help me. I think I'm grateful I didn't go to university, although my parents would like not be, but because I don't think I would have dealt with that mindset. Today I can, I don't know if they'll take a 41-year-old into a university anymore. But back then, no, I couldn't say boo to a boos. I was doing another degree parallely. And I was working part time as well. So I was doing two degrees together working part time juggling everything. And then imagine having to go through the stress of work, studies and this. You know, it's it's uncalled for it's and it's not warranted, right?
So just something interesting that Kavindi, our writer slash researcher extraordinaire, sent me is that many English dictionaries don't carry the word ragging. So ragging is something that is specific to Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. And Sri Lanka is said to be the worst affected. In 1998, the Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act Number 20, made ragging a non-bailable offense if it involves sexual harassment, or grievous injury, and could lead up to 10 years in jail. 23 years ago, if there was a law put that this is a non-bailable offense. And 23 years later, we're still having this conversation. Clearly the law is not. Funniest thing about that is, legal ladies. At orientation, you're given that act in print. That basically says you can go into jail. You get it, you sign it, they give you a physical copy of that act that ragging is illegal. Yeah. So I mean, back then I wasn't even aware of it, like when I was just a university student, but now as a lawyer, when I go through this act, I mean, it actually does provide for a lot of things not to happen. It covers a lot. Because there was wrongful restraints and there are things like that which technically says, even if I am obstructed when I'm walking, that still falls under the ragging act. And even that holds a punishment. I think that specific provision was for, holds the punishment of seven years if I'm not mistaken. So even if that happens, I could technically bring it under the Act. But the question is, how many people would opt for legal aid and help? Because most even I wasn’t aware at that point. Now I am. But at that point, I wasn't aware. So I can, do you think people who come from different backgrounds, underprivileged backgrounds, who are not so aware would ever think it's an offense? It's, but if you're given this kole, and you're signing it in and you’re told? Like I I just want to know, like, what is it about the fact that there is a law, it's documented, you signed, and you're still confident that you can get away with this because this university is going to protect you anyway? Because that it's the culture that is created, then also the administration lets them get away with it. I mean, You want to be the administrator of an educational institute that your students would love coming to, right? That's where your popularity as a dean, as a chancellor, as a teacher, you are a teacher now, as any form of educator, you want to be proud to say this is a safe space for your students, everybody, you you are teaching the next generation, you want to become the most popular, you know, Why would you ever support this kind of, I don't know what to call it, this ridiculousness, this tyranny, this violence, why would you want that to be your legacy? It blows my mind as to why staff and lecturers actually keep their mouth shut. But I think or I may be wrong but what I feel is now these people are also people who have been in state universities and somehow after ragging some people have a pleasant experience or you know with this mal bucket thing being done they become heroes and things like that, you know, they think of it as a positive thing ah we went through this period, we survived it! But I think most of these administrators have that mindset like are we all been through this? Yes, or this is harmless. So until and unless something drastic happens, they let it happen because for them ah mewa wena dewal. You know, but haven’t drastic things already happened? But Shanuki? No, so one thing that the, the Vice Chancellor who's now the UGC Chairman, he after one of our big I think that first one first in my second year when I was assaulted and the whole lot of people members in the faculty was assaulted. What he said was “ape kale wedi thiyala maruwa dan ogollanta wenne podi deyak ne” they trivialize what happens. But ape kale, not ape kale oyalage kale people are killing themselves. Their suicide, there is rape. There is that, that boy was like, they put tires on him. And I mean, that thing happened and there's been murders. What is drastic to them, then if this is not only when an incident like that occurs, do they speak up. Yeah, but then it's a lot of talking and nothing happens. Exactly! That’s, that's the problem with the system. Right? So again, I think it's a problem with the culture. It's, it’s what, what is created, ah this is something that has to happen, let's in like, you know, you encourage them to enjoy. And like Devaka said, they compare it with, you know, some drastic incident that happened and say mewa wenna one dewal. And like you correctly said, unless it's physical, they don't see it as assault. Yeah, if I went and I complained of my experience, they would be like, yeah, so, so what? You were scared, so what? You get it? Because nobody hit me? Nobody touched me. Nobody asked me to do anything. I don't have evidence, you don't have evidence, you, you know, they want just more than fear, just more than anxiety. They want, they want something big and scary to happen for them to even intervene. Otherwise, they would like to turn a blind eye.
And.. Because now at that particular University, what I found out when I talked to one of the Masters, the lecturers, this professor, he was saying that the problem is that the faculty, the lecturers are scared of the student unions, because the student unions are politicized. And there they've got political backing. And a lot of it, I mean, I think it's widely known knowledge that there is one particular political party that has been associated for years behind this whole ragging and this whole intimidation process and all equalization, as they call it. And that the faculty is scared, the admin or the administrators are scared. So then is it that the power is in the student's hand to change this culture? I do, I, tell me if this was your experience, as well, but we all feel like the lecturers also favor the students from outstation? Have you all got that notion? Because I did. I felt like my lecturers were very sympathetic towards students who came from out of Colombo. It's alright to be sympathetic. That, that's fine. Yeah. But well, if it's equality, it needs to work both ways, right? Yeah, true. So sometimes people who are said to be very good lecturers are very nasty to us because we were from Colombo. And they thought we were privileged. Exactly. So I think they don't mind us being ragged. Because, you know, they also believe in that process where they believe in the ideology that ragging would make everybody equal and that would make people bond. So there's one thing that they say is true, what they say is, like when you hang out together when you go through all this together, what they say is, what they start off by saying is “ogollan lankawe kohe giyath ogollanta yaluwek innawa.” Like you know, you connecting with someone because you were like batchmates in a war or something. Like, you know, oh, I lost my leg, what did you lose? Kind of situation. Like it's not, it shouldn't be war. Like when I walk into the entrance of my university, I shouldn't feel like I'm going like Hunger Games or something. Exactly. Correct me if I'm wrong, but how do we change the system when in the administration it's also the people who passed out in the same system going in there saying that they had a cycle. Exactly, it’s a vicious cycle. It's a cycle. Like I kid you not, one of the main raggers from my university is now a teacher in Psychology. Wow, the irony. My personal opinion is, when they get ragged, they are so angry, they're like the next batch we're going to do something more serious than what happened to us. And they make it worse. And then the next batch is like, we need to make it worse for our juniors, we got this, we have to get revenge. And I think that is how it has come to this level of so like, it's not, not even, you can't talk about it. How is it that universities for instance, like Moratuwa, are completely ragging free? How did they do it? If on a national scale, everybody's saying you can't change this culture in Sri Lanka, that's kind of what you get when you talk to anybody, this will never change, you can't change. But actually, universities like Moratuwa, don't have any ragging. They're completely ragging free. In some departments in my university don't have ragging. So how is that? How does that work? How does that work? So if they can have a success story there, why can't they… I think there, the administrators have to take control. Shanuki? There was also fear instilled in mine where you will lose your studentship if you are caught ragging, because our head was very... You have to, you have to actually live up to that promise, right? Yes. You can’t, you can’t make that, you can get them to sign the kole, and then later say no, no, because they'll pass you out anyway. Exactly. And then there is this threat. Now I remember this boy who came to threaten me and all that he was constantly watching me, right. So thereafter, even if I don't do something wrong, but was slightly deviant, he would say monada…he would make a big deal and say, api oyawa complain karanawa, Vice Chancellor ta. So, why? Because you’re not getting ragged. Exactly, because that was there in the back of his mind. Even they would like try to find the simple mistake and make it a big deal. And you're worried that they might turn you in for something you didn't do? You know, it saddens me that these are supposed to be the best minds of the country. And this is what the product is, like, honestly, I'm not saying all raggers are bad. I mean, some of them are obvious victims. I've had some of my friends who I later found out were actually raggers, but they had looked out for me and told them to lay off of me. So they, you do have that, but they're all caught in it together. They don't seem to know how to get out. And the problem is they don't find avenues to get out of it. So this is a kind of study that was done in 2018 by the UGC on ragging and sexual violence in - were you part of this? Okay, on sexual violence and ragging in Sri Lankan universities. It was funded by UNICEF, and they had spoken to 15,000 over 15,000 students, and the statistics that came out were that 26% underwent mental and verbal ragging. That's one fifth of the entire student population that they spoke to. 21% had physical ragging. 16% had gone through sexual harassment and 1% Sexual Violence. I don't know why we have to wait until somebody dies. Or, you know, something so cataclysmic happens that an entire family or entire community is devastated. I don't have I don't know why Sri Lanka, the authorities, the Ministry of Education, the UGC, why these people are just turning that blind eye and only responding when there's a media up, hahoo about an incident? That's when everybody comes out being defensive. And you know, start No, no, no, we are going to change things. And this is changing that is changing. What has changed? That is only for that week. Yeah, exactly. When the news is hot. Why are students still afraid of this? Why are students afraid to talk about this? Currently, I'm working with some Peradeniya lecturers, and Darsha is also there. We are doing a webinar series called ‘Lifting the Silence’ done by the Coalition Against Violence in universities. So we are doing webinars, we did it twice a month. Now we stopped for Christmas. But now we start again. So we, that is exactly what we are trying to do, try to make people talk. And you are working on, campaigning for this to change. I have campaigned. And..frankly, I do stay in contact with current students, whenever they have an issue, they call me and I see what necessary channels can be taken. So they range from rapes to pregnancies resulting from and you know, all of that. And, but to be very frank and, umm I'm, it's tiring, I'm kind of tired. It's one situation after the other and you keep going at it, you keep going at it, you try to hold the administration accountable, and they somehow get away with it, try to hold lecturers accountable. They say, you know, you need to take this up with the University and the University does nothing. You get
Cornered, I think just to answer the question, because I feel like I've taken way too much time talking about this. Why don't we not go for legal action? Because we still have to go back and survive another three years, two years, one year?
And what hell will await us then, is a question I don't think anybody wants to know the answer to because there is no way if you are, maybe if I was, I did. I can afford to, because I would get into university, getting my lectures, and my department was away from the main unit, get there, get in and get out. And then I won't be staying in the hostel, I'll be staying in my own family, whatever. But the girl who is getting raped inside the hostel, files the case, has to go back because the mother or the father can't afford to pay some boarding fees. What does she do? So the only thing that they can do and I will never judge them for it is to stay in that violence. And, you know, somehow get that degree and get out. And by the time that they get out, it's an achievement. And I don't blame them for that. It is an achievement to go through all of that. It's just that you shouldn't have to.
The only practical way I see is to make the administration more responsible. Because I mean, it's not like we can go speak to every individual and change every individual is doing this right. So the easiest or the quickest way to do it is if the administration takes a stance, they will not allow it and they stand by the students. Not just not just say, say things get forms signed, yeah. There should be some accountability that is brought forward saying If you get caught, during the inquiry period, you will be suspended, it will be in your record. And then if you are found guilty, you are going to be either kicked out or whatever, I don't know something that will make them scared to do it. Because if fear is the only thing they respond to, yeah, what other mechanism do we have?
After Darsha Udayanga's expose about his brutal ragging experience, it led to the Vice Chancellor of Ruhuna, to take action, and the university launched a campaign referred to as the three E's to eliminate ragging on campus. Three E's were education, engineering, and enforcement. So education was educating all the staff and students on the long term harm, harmful effects of ragging and violence, engineering was breaking open rooms within the university premises used by members of the Student Union for ragging purposes and installing CCTV cameras in these rooms. I have a question on that, because I mean, it's just a case of them shifting rooms then and going elsewhere shifting locations. So I don't know how effective that is. Enforcement, ensuring that all those involved in ragging are brought before the law. I don't know how successful these three E's have been.
So even I spoke on that webinar, also something that I said there is, don't leave it to the administrators, they're not going to do it. Something I said was, we have to do something, the students have to do something because like you said, majority of people who don't like it, in the management faculty, there are 1000, in a batch 180 will come to rag, we are the silent majority, we need to stand up, we need to realize that, that's something I told at that point also, and parents need to be involved and know what is happening with their students when they come and stay in the hostels.
So what I believe is, first of all, be aware of your rights. I am only reading the ragging act now, because I'm a lawyer, not because I was a student, be aware of your rights and see what you can do. And I beg to differ with you on, don't leave it to the administration. I'm saying no, they have to be accountable, we are under their care, they are taking responsibility to make it a safe place. So they should be held accountable just because they are not doing it. We can't let them go.
Nothing that is done to you without your consent can shame you. Because we are, we are under this, you know, everything that happened to me is shameful to me not to the person who did it. And I didn't consent to it being happened to me, if I did consent to it. That's my own issue. I have consented to it. When you're going into university, try your best to make yourself knowledgeable about your own self, your own limits, your own strengths. Pick and choose friends you know you can depend on. And please don't let people use your body the way they want. They have no right to do that. You fought for your chance. So make sure you hold on to it but not as the cost of your life. Yeah, that's what I would also, not at the cost of your life.
Parents never have an atmosphere at home of shame that your child can’t come and tell you that this is happening to them. Nothing in this society or society's perception of you and your family is worth you losing your child because along the way you will maybe not physically, but mentally you will not know the child that comes back home to you. If your child is being raped if your child girl or boy is being physically sexually assaulted, make a home, make the home a safe space where even if they come home for the weekend, they can tell Mom, this happened to me. Appachchi, this happened to me, what do I do, I don't want to go back. Because unless you also join hands with them and go and speak out and say, You can't do this to my child, no authority figure is regulating, because even parents aren't an authority figure, because my father showed up, you know, they got scared.
So, and trust me to the raggers who are watching you, watching this, who will watch this because it has the name ragging in it. If your parents knew what you're doing, it won't be the students who will commit suicide. Because your parents haven't done all of this to get you here, so you can ruin the life of another person. So….and don't talk about brotherhood. And don't say you're, you know, making someone, preparing someone for the evils of society because the evils that I experienced inside my university I have yet to experience out here. So I would say cut the crap. Get your life together and stop being a violent piece of shit.