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| A controversy erupted after the claims that Arsenic is the cause of the Rajarata Chronic Kidney Disease |
Academics at the University of Kelaniya have requested the vice chancellor to safeguard the reputation of the university by taking action on those involved in "extraordinary methods" of research claiming divine intervention.
In an open letter to the vice chancellor, academics at the Faculty of Science say that 'findings' by some researchers led by the dean on alleged arsenic in water leading to kidney disease in the North Central Province have been controversial.
"It has been stated over and over again by some members of this research group over the media that these research results have been based on assumptions and advice received from divine godly forces," the letter, sent to media by Prof DDS Kulatunga said.
"It has been accepted practice of the researchers of the faculty to publish their findings at academic conferences, seminars and in internationally accepted peer reviewing journals," the statement added.
'Gods' to the rescue
A controversy erupted in Sri Lanka after the claims by Professor Nalin de Silva that Arsenic is the cause of the Rajarata Chronic Kidney Disease Unidentified Etiology (RCKD).
|  We would like to stress upon the fact that the majority of academics hear about these extraordinary methods and their findings only through the media |
The research team at the University of Kelaniya, claims Prof. Silva other than him 'consists of western chemists, botanists, mathematicians who are employed as professors and senior lecturers at the University of Kelaniya as well as those who practice western medicine, some of whom are academics at the Rajarata University'.
Prof Silva says that his team unable to identify Arsenic in hard water in Rajarata areas according to 'standard methods available in the text books and the journals' was later assisted by 'devivaru' (gods) to detect Arsenic (Arsenates) in the samples of hard water.
But the academics at the university of Kelaniya say the latest "research" by their own colleagues lacks credibility.
"At times the present dean of the Faculty of Science, the leader of this research group, had also openly stated to the media that they do not accept the principles and methodology of the globally recognized scientific methods taught within the Faculty of Science," added the letter.
"We would like to stress upon the fact that the majority of academics hear about these extraordinary methods and their findings only through the media," it adds urging the vice chancellor to take immediate action.
