Inter University Students' Federation
| අන්තර් විශ්වවිද්යාලයීය ශිෂ්ය බලමණ්ඩලය |
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| Abbreviation | IUSF |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1978 |
| Type | Umbrella body of Students Unions |
| Purpose | save free education and against to the privatizing education |
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Membership
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~70 students' unions |
|
Official language
|
English, Sinhala ,Tamil |
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Convener
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Lahiru Weerasekara |
| Subsidiaries | Inter Medical Faculty Students' Action Committee,University Bhikku Federation |
| Website | www |
Inter University Students' Federation (Sinhalese: අන්තර් විශ්වවිද්යාලයීය ශිෂ්ය බලමණ්ඩලය) is a confederation of students' unions in the Sri Lanka. Around 70 students' unions are affiliated, accounting for more than 95% of all higher and further education unions in the Sri Lanka. The IUSF is affiliated to Marxist-Leninist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. Inter University Students Federation is the organization that is given leadership to whole university students in Sri Lanka.
IUSF comprises student unions representing main universities and Action Committees of all universities in Sri Lanka. The sole official of the union is known as the convener. Convener carries out all administrative and legal work on behalf of the union.Lahiru Weeraseka is the convener of IUSF since 2015. Inter University Bhikku Federation is an affiliated organization to IUSF.
Inter University Students' Federation of Students is formed by the student unions of around 10 institutions and two other student organizations :
As reforms were initiated in Sri Lanka in 1977, the student movement expressed dissent towards the reforms. Inter University Students’ Federation was formed in 1978, with a formation of a leftist mass movement and Shantha Bandara, a student in the science faculty of University of Peradeniya, was elected as its first convener.
As the first campaign of IUSF was against the removal of rice ration (food stamps) that was offered by the government to poor people and first convener of the Inter University Students’ Federation, Comrade Shantha Bandara was given the leadership for it.
Then in the period of 1981 “1981 White paper on education” was carried by Sri Lanka government to reduce provisions for the education. With the leadership of Inter University Student’ Federation, Sri Lanka parliament was surrounded by university students and the government was crashed to that campaign with the army. But the courage and strength of the Sri Lankan students’ campaign, the government was defeated and “1981 White paper on education” was canceled by the government in front of the strength of Sri Lankan Students’ Campaign.
1985 became a landmark year to the student movement, giving birth to the struggle against the private medical college of Colombo North, established in 1981. This protracted struggle had to be fought until 1988. 129 students, including Padmasiri Thrimavithana and Venura Edirisinghe were martyred during this struggle. As a consequence of students’ opposition, the government finally was compelled to nationalize the private medical college in 1988.
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Wikipedia