Changing University Student Politics in Sri Lanka: from Norm Oriented to Value Oriented Student Movements*

Social Affairs. Vol.1 No.3, 23-32, Fall 2015 Social Affairs: A Journal for the Social Sciences ISSN 2362-0889 (online) www.socialaffairsjournal.com CHANGING UNIVERSITY STUDENT POLITICS IN SRI LANKA: FROM NORM ORIENTED TO VALUE ORIENTED STUDENT MOVEMENTS* Gamini Samaranayake** Political Scientist ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the causes of student political activism in Sri Lankan universities by paying attention to the history of student politics starting from the 1960s when the first traces of such activism can be traced. Towards this end, it makes use of the analytical framework proposed by David Finlay that explains certain conditions under which students may be galvanized to engage in active politics. Analyzing different socio-political contexts that gave rise to these movements, and the responses of incumbent governments to such situations, it concludes that in order to mitigate the risk of youth getting involved in violent politics, it is necessary to address larger structural issues of inequality. Keywords: Student Politics, Violence, University Education, Sri Lanka INTRODUCTION Student politics is a significant phenomenon sense it could be stated that the universities are in University education in Sri Lanka. The barometers of social and political discontent. involvement of students in politics has a long history and has always reflected the When tracing the history of student politics, social and political changes in the country. it is evident that Sri Lanka did not have Consequently current student councils are a single student movement until 1960. highly politicized bodies and the universities However, with the expansion in the number are strong centers of youth led agitation. In a of universities student councils became a * A previous version of this paper was presented **Author e-mail: at the 3rd International Symposium of the South [email protected] Eastern University of Sri Lanka (2013) and is ©2015 Social Affairs Journal. This work is available on the university repository. licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial 4.0 International License. -23- Social Affairs. Vol.1 No.3, 23-32, Fall 2015 wing of the radical or leftist political parties. argues that confrontational politics arises out After 1971, university student politics of three main reasons. The first is the lack became a part and parcel of insurrectionary of integration into adult power structures and violence and guerrilla warfare in Sri Lanka. decision making processes. The second is The causes behind changing student the degree to which a political authority is politics is closely linked to the expansion recognized as being legitimate. Confrontation of university education and changes in the politics may result when students feel that selection of members to student bodies. authority is not acceptable or legitimate. The legitimacy orientations of students are AIMS AND OBJECTIVES an expression of their evaluation of the appropriateness or inappropriateness of The main objective of this paper is to examine authority, particularly a political regime. the causes behind changing student politics in Sri Lanka. This paper is therefore divided There are three possible legitimacy into four major parts. The first part deals orientations: supportive, oppositional and with the analytical framework of the paper. acquiescent. When students regard authority The second part deals with factors that as legitimate, they will tend to perform have contributed to student politics among supportive or acquiescent roles in relation to university students in the country. The third the political system. However, when students part examines the nature and type of student do not grant legitimacy to the system, their organizations. The fourth part examines behavior is oppositional and confrontational. the response of the government or the university towards student movements. The According to David J. Finlay the third concluding section contains observations cause of student involvement in politics is and recommendations. the process of politicization. Politicization means the degree of political awareness ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK and involvement in the world of politics and government (Ibid). According to him the level The analytical framework of this discussion of politicization contributes to the level and is based on the analysis made by David J. type of political participation of students. Finlay’s (n.d.) pamphlet titled “Youth and Politics: A Pre-theoretic Model” which has He further argues that the levels of been of special relevance to this paper. politicization correlate with the levels of Youth are perceived of as actors in any participation. There are three politicization political system. If a political system is to levels as minimal, moderate and high. A persist, one of its major tasks is to provide high level of politicization leads to riots and for a minimal level of support for a regime rebellion, moderate participation results in of some kind. Yet political systems generally demonstrations and the formation of parties do not conceive of students as participants and minimal politicization confines the in politics. Where students find themselves orientation to voting and discussion (Ibid). ignored by or barred from participatory roles In addition there are some systemic variables in the adult power structure, “they are likely influencing the political behavior of students. to seize the initiative in an effort to make their They are as follows: demands known” (Finlay, p.2). The result is confrontational politics between students 1.The structure of the educational system and authority. 2.The propensity of the authorities to sanction According to this analytical framework Finlay political opposition -24- Changing University Student Politics in Sri Lanka Gamini Samaranayake 3.The degree of relationships between the On the basis of the above-mentioned model student population and the political elite the roles of students can be presented as follows: The structure of the education system may be elite or mass in both quantitative and 1. In a mass educational system with a low qualitative terms. If the legitimacy orientation sanction, student politicization will be of students in an elitist system tends to be acquiescent or supportive in the minimal supportive, the salience of oppositional or moderate activity ranges if elite activity decreases. It does not leave space for congruity is at the moderate to high end of oppositional politics due to the small student a continuum. bodies, residential accommodation of quality 2. If however, elite-student congruity is low standards, and close student supervision for significant proportions of the student through low student-faculty ratios, tutorials population, supportive orientations will be and geographic isolation of the campus. less frequent and oppositional orientations The mass educational system does not give will increase and will be directed against any guarantee of elite status to students. the regime. On the one hand, students have more time 3. In a mass educational system in a closed and freedom to enroll in national politics as political system with a high propensity to compared to the elite system mostly because sanction (but with the sanction function of the lack of supervision. On the other, in still low) if student-elite congruity is countries where the economic infrastructure high, participation will be largely ritually fails to keep pace with educational supportive or acquiescent, oppositional expansion, career opportunities are likely to activity will be more sporadic than be insufficient to meet the high expectations sustained and will be at a high participation of graduates. Thus the introduction of mass level when it does occur. For example education may lead to student frustration there will be fewer attempts to form and alienation. As a result what emerges political parties but demonstrations and is a class of career students, unable and riots will occur involving a large number of perhaps unwilling to leave the university, who participants. are active dissidents in the political process. 4. If student-political elite congruity is low, The second variable is the ability of the supportive orientations at any level of political elites to employ sanctions against participation will largely disappear as oppositional political activity. students move into increasingly sporadic The third variable is the congruity of the opposition. Oppositional politicization student and political elite. At least three is at its height in this category with the factors must be considered when deciding largest number in the perceptually-related the degree of congruity or incongruity but minimally participant category. The between students and political elites. discussion stage of oppositional politics will be at sustained levels initiated by the The first is similarities or differences in social highly politicized participants. It is this cell backgrounds and recruitment. The second of the model that provides instances of is the existence and extent of competition student riots that precipitate government among elites. The third factor is the extent or regime change in developing countries. of shared (or opposed) attitudes, beliefs and values (Ibid). 5. In an elitist educational system in an open polity if the student-political elite -25- Social Affairs. Vol.1 No.3, 23-32, Fall 2015 congruence is high, the politicization government policy. These movements tend distribution will be normal and legitimacy

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