The Management Studies & Commerce Students’ Union (MCSU) of the University of Jaffna has strongly condemned the vandalism of a Vesak lantern during a celebration organized at the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce.
Issuing a statement, the Union said those directly responsible must be identified and subjected to disciplinary action.
The Vesak event was organized by Sinhala students with the approval and support of the Students’ Union, while Tamil students also actively cooperated to ensure its success. The Union emphasised that every possible support was provided to create an environment in which students could celebrate the religious and cultural occasion.
In its statement, the Union expressed concern over attempts to generalize the incident and unfairly attribute responsibility to the Tamil student community.
It rejected efforts to transform the isolated act into an ethnic issue, stressing that the actions of a few individuals should not be used to create divisions among communities.
The Union urged students to act responsibly, refrain from spreading misinformation, and allow authorities to conduct a fair investigation. It called on all students to uphold harmony, respect, and coexistence within the faculty community.
Commenting on the incident, Tamil National Council MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said he and his party fully associate themselves with the sentiments expressed by the Students’ Union.
“All students have the right and the freedom to enjoy their religious and cultural beliefs. As such, Sinhala Buddhist students and others who celebrate Vesak and similar Buddhist occasions have that unfettered right,” he stated in a post on ‘X’.
MP Ponnambalam condemned the act of vandalism “unreservedly” and called for a full investigation into the incident and proper action against those responsible. (Newswire)
