Quarantined trade unionists vow to defeat KNDU Bill

General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin vowed that they would defeat the Kotelawala National Defence University (KNDU) Bill even if they are imprisoned. 

He made the remarks yesterday while addressing a media briefing via social media from the quarantine centre in Mullaitivu where he and a group of other trade unions are currently being held. 

A group of 33 individuals including Mr Stalin were arrested by police in Battaramulla last week while protesting against the KNDU Bill. They were taken into custody on charges of violating quaratine laws. Though the group was given bail by courts, a number of them were subsequently taken from outside the Colombo Magistrate's Court by police and forcibly taken to an air force-run uarantine centre in Mullativu. 

"The Government is trying to sell education like they did with SAITM. We defeated that attempt and will defeat this also, whether we are quarantined or imprisoned," Mr Stalin insisted. 

He questioned on what grounds he and other trade unionists were being held in quarantine despite not a single one of them being a COVID patient and not even having been exposed to one. 

The CTU General Secretary also claimed that online education in the entire country has now ground to a halt as teachers have stopped classes in solidarity with the quarantined trade unionists. 

By Romesh Madushanka