Hi,
Been away with studies and exam preparations. We were supposed to have the final exams last week. What I thought was getting a repeat grade would be the worst to happen at the time. But the near-death experience I had recently (16th January 2013) changed my perspective completely.
The purpose of this post is to provide an insight as a victim of the brutal assault by NDT on Engineering students in UoM, based on my experience. Reading or not, choice is up to the reader.
The incident : 16-Jan-2013
Only one subject was done, five left to go.
I was reading a note for the next days exam. Suddenly around 10.00 pm, loud voices, crashing sounds came from our neighboring boys' hostel side. Wondering what would that be, I went out to our main corridor. Now all the sounds were pretty clear. Glass shattering, breaking and battering noises were there. When I peeked at that hostel, I saw a bunch of people with covered faces were smashing the boys' hostel properties. Few minutes later, some windows of our hostel were also broken by them. So, we all locked our rooms, turned off the lights and quickly gathered to our TV room.
The shouts were getting closer by the minute and some people were battering the sheets of the hostel trying to enter our hostel ground. Just after few minutes, two or three people were already inside the hostel grounds (they may have jumped in using something, I didn't see how) and breaking the sheet fence from the inside. More to the downside, our study room on the ground floor had only glass covered doors and windows, without a single iron grill. One smash at the glass and they can barge in. So it was only a matter of time before they break and enter our hostel.
All were now gathered at the main corridor. Hearts were beating fast, trembling hands and feet. Fear pumping through the veins. I caught a glimpse of some people running towards our study room. Everyone was screaming and running away from the study room, to whatever room they could get in, shut and locked the doors. I had the key of my room and I couldn't remember to get into any other room. So I went into mine. Corridors were swarming with girls, trying to get in to a room. By the time our room was locked, there were about ten girls in there. We were hiding under the beds and tables, scared of making even the tiniest sound.
We heard some boys shouting at female security officers who were on duty in the hostel that night. The officers were begging them not to do any damage, not to go in. Obviously they didn't give a damn about it because the next thing we heard was their voices, right outside our rooms (in our corridor) shouting abusive insults to engineering students, especially the Eng. girls. They were threatening us, the B.Sc girls to come out of hiding places and that though we can stay in the hiding today, they'll attack us tomorrow. They turned the corridor lights, shouted, hit some doors, insulted abusively and went away. We called 119, but no help arrived at that time. We all stayed in the rooms, waiting for a this to end. But, as soon as we came out from under the bed, another set of people came to the corridors. This happened again after some time.
Now that the news has spread to students staying outside the university premises, they were calling to make sure that we were ok and to know what has happened.
We were waiting and waiting. Around 1.20 am, the female security officers informed us that the police has arrived and asked all of us to gather to the TV room. Finally, the police was there with some of our fellow engineering students. Some were injured. Police asked whether there are any injured students, (girls or any boys who are hiding in the hostel), checked every room. Only after that, we were asked to return to our rooms.
Aftermath:
Not a single girl has been injured in this accident. Even though, a number of boys were injured and one had a severe head injury. Afterwards I learnt that the NDT girls in the hostel have helped their people to find where our rooms are in the hostel. Such a tragedy! Why couldn't they bother to think that what would happen to them if they were in our situation.
University was closed for engineering faculty and NDT, without stating a starting date. Engineering students have requested a permanent solution for this, which is relocating NDT to a different location. This conflict, fighting were recurring since 90's. As a solution, sometime earlier it has been decided to allocate for NDT to a place in Diyagama to prevent future incidents. But unfortunately, that is still only a decision.
I sincerely hope at least this time, a proper solution will be provided by the administration. The faculty VC was neither taking any adequate measures to ensure the safety of the students at the time of attack nor standing against this crime afterwards, but trying to put a patch to this deep wound and paint a pretty picture that things are fine. The police did their duty just the same. they appeared in the scene after about two hours we called 119 for help, after everything has happened.
Bitter truth is that with this kind of administration, the chances of getting a proper solution is not high.
Yet, one can hope.
So I hope.
University was closed for engineering faculty and NDT, without stating a starting date. Engineering students have requested a permanent solution for this, which is relocating NDT to a different location. This conflict, fighting were recurring since 90's. As a solution, sometime earlier it has been decided to allocate for NDT to a place in Diyagama to prevent future incidents. But unfortunately, that is still only a decision.
I sincerely hope at least this time, a proper solution will be provided by the administration. The faculty VC was neither taking any adequate measures to ensure the safety of the students at the time of attack nor standing against this crime afterwards, but trying to put a patch to this deep wound and paint a pretty picture that things are fine. The police did their duty just the same. they appeared in the scene after about two hours we called 119 for help, after everything has happened.
Bitter truth is that with this kind of administration, the chances of getting a proper solution is not high.
Yet, one can hope.
So I hope.
