Daily Mirror: 25 July 2025 12:01 am
The parents of Charith Dilshan, a second year undergraduate from the Faculty of Technology, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka who faced intense ragging, filed a Fundamental Rights petition with the Supreme Court on Monday, July 15, 2025, case number S.C. Application (F/R) No. 147/25.
Following severe harassment, humiliation, and violation of his fundamental human rights as part of the rag that prevails in our state university system, Charith tragically took his life on April 29, 2025. In order to seek justice for their son, Charith’s parents, with the assistance of Rage, a non-profit organisation committed to eradicating harassment and bullying in educational institutions and workplaces, filed the petition in the hope that no parent has to watch their child go through such an ill fate again. The petition not only claims for institutions and parties involved, through their action or inaction, to take responsibility but also for changes to be made within the system to ensure the proper enforcement of the law.
Despite being criminalised under the Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act, No. 20 of 1998, ragging continues to be a deeply entrenched systemic issue in Sri Lankan state universities with devastating consequences for students. Every year, ragging causes over 2,000 students to drop out of state universities, and several students have taken their own lives as a result of the trauma (Source: Ministry of Education). The practice is so pervasive that a majority of students have faced some form of ragging, be it physical, verbal, or emotional. In light of this, Rage, a volunteer and youth led movement, seeks to combat any form of harassment, particularly ragging, sexual harassment, and cyberbullying, while providing pro bono legal support to victims.
Upon hearing the news of Charith’s death, Rage has been tirelessly working in order to seek justice for not just Charith and his family, but for all university students who work diligently to enter the state university system and to lift the financial burden of tertiary education from the shoulders of their parents. By doing so, the movement recognises the sacrifices students make while pursuing their studies at university, and that university should be a place for learning, camaraderie, and carving out one’s future.
Thus, using social media outlets and its legal network, Rage was able to obtain Charith’s home address and deliver a descriptive letter detailing the options that his parents would be entitled to when seeking justice from the system that should have protected and nurtured him. Upon reading this letter, the parents opted to take action and reached out to Rage. Subsequently, Rage was able to guide them through the process of making a complaint at the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, Kandy with the assistance of the Human Rights Office Kandy (an organisation dedicated to giving assistance in Fundamental Rights cases).
Following this, a team of lawyers from Rage, under the instruction of two senior lawyers, coordinated and worked closely with Charith’s parents in order to draft and file a Fundamental Rights action and filed a petition on the instructions of the registered attorneys at the Human Rights Law Chamber.
The petition details Charith’s background along with the circumstances that led to his death which, as per the Criminal Investigation Department, are clearly linked to the ragging and humiliation he faced in the hostel premises. The petition goes on to connect this issue to a broader national crisis listing all those who were prematurely lost or permanently harmed due to ragging, and calls for the investment of government funds in this system, necessitating it as an issue that warrants public interest.
The petitioners, the parents of Charith, seek justice for their son along with a series of procedures to be implemented by way of directions issued by the Supreme Court to relevant authorities and governing entities. This aim is to bring to fruition the policy changes and the safe educational sphere envisioned by the leaders of our country and the many who have strived to eradicate the menace of ragging from our higher educational institutions. The case was called to the Supreme Court on Friday, the 18th of July, and it was fixed for support on the 29th of August, 2025.
In its movement to fight against ragging through providing pro bono legal aid, awareness programs and workshops, education, and other forms of non violent activism, Rage hopes to foster a culture of respect and safety in the higher educational institutions in Sri Lanka. Charith is more than just a victim or a statistic, he was an intelligent and ambitious student full of potential, an excellent cook, a caring son, a helpful member of his community, and so much more. A case such as Charith’s should effectively be the last of its kind, making universities what they are truly meant to be, a safe haven where students can pursue their education without fear, exploring the realms of knowledge and fostering meaningful relationships and memories that last a lifetime.
For inquiries you may contact Rage via rage.srilanka@gmail.com
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