Ending ragging requires courage—the BASL has shown the way

Tuesday, 20 January 2026 00:46 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

In filing a Fundamental Rights petition before the Supreme Court, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has risen to an exceptional moment of national responsibility, taking a decisive stand toward ending the vicious cycle of ragging in universities and other centers of higher learning

BASL, should be commended in invoking the Fundamental Rights jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in relation to the tragic incident involving Charith Dilshan of the Sabaragamuwa University and this bold initiative marks a rare and courageous intervention in a matter that has long been trivialised, normalised, or deliberately ignored.

Ragging, particularly in its violent and degrading forms, is not a “student tradition” but a sustained violation of human dignity, bodily integrity, and the right to education. The fatal and life-altering injuries suffered by students over decades stand as grim testimony to the collective failure of university administrations, academic bodies, and regulatory authorities who have too often treated such violence with disturbing indifference.

BASL decision to act—despite institutional inertia and societal silence—has sent a clear message that impunity cannot be allowed to masquerade as culture. The interim orders issued by the Supreme Court have already begun to resonate across campuses, compelling long-overdue introspection among those entrusted with the care and safety of our youth.

I write not merely as a commentator, but also as a survivor of ragging myself in the early 1970s. Many perpetrators of that era have since risen to positions of authority within our universities—an uncomfortable truth that underscores how deeply embedded and institutionally tolerated this violence has become. That history makes your intervention all the more significant.

It is evident that many students and parents remain unaware of the constitutional remedies and legal protections available to them when subjected to ragging. In this context, I intend to initiate an island-wide awareness program aimed at educating the public on their rights and avenues for redress. I sincerely hope that the BASL, under the stewardship of its current President Rajeev Amarasuriya, will lend its voice, expertise, and moral authority to this national endeavor.

Ending ragging violence requires more than court orders; it demands an unambiguous stand from institutions that shape minds and values. BASL action has reaffirmed public faith that the law can, and must, intervene when conscience fails.

The BASL has manifestly demonstrated that silence is not neutrality and that justice delayed in such matters is justice denied.

Well done: The entire nation salutes the BASL for its commendable intervention.

Athula Ranasinghe

Colombo 05.