Story of Moratuwa campus student who suddenly dies inside boarding-house because of pressure of university lecturers.

Story of Moratuwa campus student who suddenly dies inside boarding-house because of pressure of university lecturers.

Sri Lankan law does not hold someone's death by heart attack as a crime attributed to another party. On the other hand however if there is some party that brings upon social pressure to the extent that a person suffers a fatal heartache, that party cannot wash hands from accepting responsibility of the death of the said victim.

A 27 year old female campus student following Final Year course in Fashion and Designing suddenly

was found dead on a night last week unexpectedly inside a boarding-house in Madapatha, Piliyandala where she was staying temporarily. She was a resident of Raddolugama area and was someone who has undergone pressure by campus authorities from time to time, it is understood. She thus had to extend her campus course of studies for a number of years on several occasions having been unjustifiably failed. Due to this very reason she had to enter into marriage during her campus course of studies and had lived together with her husband in her Piliyandala room. When involved in activities related to her project report for the Final Year, this time too she was being subjected to injustice and she had been spending her time in stress, continuously.

On the day of the incident she had been engaged in her academic work with her husband from night till dawn and had retired to bed at about 4 in the morning asking that she be awakened around 6.30 . After sometime the husband had woken and when searching for the student he had heard the sound of water continuously and on suspicion on inquiring it was found that she had died inside the bathroom.

He had then informed police about this and what was revealed from initial investigations was that she had passed away after having been subjected to a sudden heart attack. She had in fact been taking treatment for her continuous heart condition since the year 2008 and had even been hospitalised on several instances having been subjected to excessive pressure at the hands of the university authorities. She had shown a sickly condition initially when she was following studies in her 2nd Year. By the time she was to hand over her project report for that Year she had been hospitalised, being seriously ill. Since she was not in a sound state of health fit enough to go to the university and hand over the government medical report which provides permission to claim a further concessionary period, she had then proceeded to send it to the authorities through her mother according to advice given to her by a lady lecturer who was on cordial terms with her. But another lady lecturer who happened to be a pitiless character had informed her mother that medical reports sent in that manner cannot be accepted. Under these circumstances the previously mentioned lady lecturer had taken steps to mediate in this connection and help the student out from her predicament by seeing to it that she is able to secure that concessionary period. However, the other lady lecturer had pointed out a certain shortcoming and had failed her at the examination for that Year, it is learned.

The student who was unjustifiably subjected to another year's delay because of her illness had faced revenge once more at the 4th Year at the hands of the said unkind lady lecturer. She and another lady lecturer had got together and had failed 14 students of the Final Year at the 2nd Term Test and the victimised student too was among them. Later both these two lady lecturers had called a meeting and had informed that on the basis that the yearly total marks falling short, all 14 of them have failed the whole year. When this was announced, the deceased student not being able to bear it up had fainted and had to be admitted to hospital. On that occasion the lady lecturer had chuckled and said that this student had enjoyed a role-play.

Though these 14 students had made a plea requesting for an opportunity to adjust shortcomings in the project, the said lady lecturer had rejected their request when such an opportunity did actually exist. Though the request was put forward across other lecturers in the university she has gone to the extent of pointing out false reasons to the Dean concerned and thus brought upon severe pressure on the students. She had at one time exclaimed that she too had faced various forms of injustice during her studentship and that these students too should be ready to be patient in the face of injustice.

When all pressure reached its apex the deceased student who once again registered herself for the Final Year with mental worry had poured over her heart-rending story to members of her family and her husband constantly as if by some sort of amnesia. Even on the day of her death she was in a state of sadness because of that heartache. Her husband who loved her dearly too had co-operated in consoling her to the maximum, it was reported.

Whatever it is, after the student passed away most unfortunately in the midst of this pressure her mother who was aware of all this had come to the funeral-house and had reprimanded the Head of the faculty, the lady lecturer, it was reported. The lady lecturer who treated the now deceased student had come to the funeral-house bringing along with her the university allowance given in the case of death, it was understood. But the student's mother had refused to accept the cash. However she had handed over the money by force and gone away.

The tragedy resulting in injustice which befell the university comrade of 27 years as a result of a heart attack would be forgotten as a hidden tragedy in a few more days' time; but authorities should take care that such things such as these should not be repeated in the future.