University of Jaffna students’ body calls for action over Vesak lantern vandalism

Colombo, June 3 (Daily Mirror) - The Management Studies & Commerce Students’ Union (MCSU) of the University of Jaffna has strongly condemned the vandalism of a Vesak lantern during a celebration held at the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce.

In a statement, the Union said those responsible for the incident should be identified and subjected to disciplinary action.

The Union said the Vesak programme was organised by Sinhala students with the approval and support of the Students’ Union, while Tamil students also participated in facilitating the event. It added that all necessary support had been provided to ensure a peaceful environment for the religious and cultural celebration.

Expressing concern over reactions to the incident, the Union rejected attempts to generalise the act and attribute responsibility to the wider Tamil student community.

It stressed that the actions of a few individuals should not be used to turn the matter into an ethnic issue or create divisions among students.

The Union urged students to act responsibly, refrain from spreading misinformation, and allow authorities to conduct a fair investigation. It also called for unity, mutual respect, and coexistence within the university community.