A wave of grief and outrage has erupted following the sudden death of Charith Dilshan, a second-year student from the Faculty of Technology at Sabaragamuwa University. The tragedy, widely linked to allegations of brutal freshman harassment, has reignited fierce national debate on systemic ragging, campus violence, and the creeping privatization of higher education in Sri Lanka.
In response, the Samajavadi Janatha Sansadaya (Socialist People’s Forum) issued the following urgent statement to the media:
Press release — May 02, 2025
Conduct a proper investigation! Ensure student freedom!
Our party has drawn close attention to the emergence of a social discourse regarding the sudden death of Charith Dilshan, a second-year student of the Faculty of Technology, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Sabaragamuwa University.
There is a strong debate in society that the cause of death was a freshman incident. Since the allegation is serious, it is the proper responsibility of the authorities of the Sabaragamuwa University to expose accurate information to the society regarding this, and the student movement also has a serious responsibility in this regard. The student movement cannot escape its responsibility to intervene in the investigation and report the correct information about the death.
Meanwhile, it is reported that in a letter written by the deceased student, no one should be held responsible for his death.
However, the university has a long history of deaths of students associated with vandalism, and some of them are listed below to draw attention to the prevention of such barbaric acts. It must be admitted that all these incidents are directly or indirectly related to vandalism within the university system.
- In 1975, Rupa Ratnasili of the University of Peradeniya jumped from the second floor of Ramanathan Hall to escape sexual abuse and became paralyzed. It was reported that she later committed suicide.
- 1992 – A student at the University of Kelaniya was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend.
- 1993 – Chaminda Punchihewa of the University of Ruhuna died due to fresher harassment.
- 1997 – A first-year student at the University of Ruhuna committed suicide after being subjected to severe sexual harassment.
- 1998 – Warapragash died due to injuries sustained in the fresher harassment at the University of Peradeniya.
- 2002 – Ovitigala Withanage Samantha student died while trying to prevent the fresher harassment at Sri Jayewardenepura.
- 2011 – A student at the University of Ruhuna was left partially paralyzed in one leg due to fresher harassment.
- 2014 – A former male student at the University of Peradeniya committed suicide after being forced to leave the university due to freshman harassment.
- 2015 – Amali Chathurika, a freshman at the University of Sabaragamuwa, reportedly committed suicide due to freshman harassment.
- 2025 – Charith Dilshan, a second-year student at the University of Sabaragamuwa, reportedly committed suicide due to freshman harassment.
These are some of the cases where students have taken their own lives within the university system due to freshman harassment.
In addition, there have been numerous complaints throughout history regarding disability and sexual assault due to freshman harassment.
Based on the argument about vandalism, the student movement must understand that these incidents are unwitting opportunities for the government, right-wing parties and the media to suppress the student movement. The student movement must also understand that such actions have helped in the strategies used by each government to privatize education. It is important to understand that such actions are thuggish acts that hinder students’ education and hinder the freedom of education.
Therefore, the “Socialist People’s Forum” proposes to free the student movement from such backward actions that go beyond the announcements and take decisive steps to build a more democratized, informed leftist student movement, nourished by leftist ideologies suitable for the 21st century, understanding Lenin’s famous text “Education first, education second, education third.”
Dharmasiri Lankapeli,
Secretary
This powerful release sheds light on how recurring incidents of hazing and violence have long haunted Sri Lanka’s public universities — and how such acts are now becoming an unintentional catalyst for the privatization of education itself.
