Defeating terrorism, common responsibility of Nation - PM

Danushka Godakumara

COLOMBO: Defeating terrorism is not the sole responsibility of the Government or the Security Forces. It is a common responsibility of the nation which requires the concerted effort of all sections of the community, said Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake.

The Prime Minister expressed these sentiments at a Mahapola scholarship awards ceremony to new university entrants held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, Colombo on Sunday.

The Prime Minister said defeating terrorism would only be a dream unless everyone in society from the highest to the lowest rungs offered their dedicated support to this endeavour.

Wickremanayake said today a certain section of the people were keeping silent leaving the task of defeating terrorism to the Government and the Security Forces. Everyone should identify his or her duty and responsibility properly and lend their wholehearted support and co-operation towards efforts to defeat terrorism since the government had to incur a colossal defence expenditure.

"At the inception of today's ceremony we remembered the founder of the Mahapola scheme late Minister Lalith Athulathmudali. But we have forgotten the father of free education late C.W.W. Kannangara. It is our bounden duty to remember him too because he had laid the foundation stone for all these schemes", the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said Sri Lanka is in the forefront among countries implementing free education policies. Although we are a developing country we have a free education systems from the kindergarten to the university level and we should all be proud of it. Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives and Consumer Services Minister Bandula Gunawardena said he was proud to be associated with the Mahapola awards ceremony for four main reasons.

Firstly, he himself had benefited from free education to obtain a degree. Secondly, he had been a dedicated teacher committed to fashion the lives of students. Thirdly, he had been a colleague in the Parliamentary opposition with late Lalith Athulathmudali founder of the Mahapola scheme and fourthly, he is a member of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government which increased the Mahapola allowance by Rs. 500.

Bandula Gunawardena said, during a Parliamentary debate on February 24, 1959 Education Minister Wijayananda Dahanayake of the MEP Government of Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike tabled a motion proposing the payment of a special Rs. 5000 grant for a bright student to seek university education abroad.

The student was none other than late Lalith Athulathmudali. Thirty three MPs including the then Prime Minister supported the motion and 13 MPs including the then Opposition Leader opposed it.

The Parliament then approved this grant to the late Lalith Athulathmudali by majority vote.

Gunawardena said late Lalith Athulathmudali who thought of bestowing that same opportunity to the future student generation launched the Mahapola Scholarship Fund in 1981.

The scholarship grant which was initially Rs. 250 had now increased to Rs. 2500. These scholarships are granted in a fully transparent manner irrespective of any differences as to race, religion, caste or political affiliations.

Presently nearly 60 for 65 percent of students gaining university admission receive Mahapola scholarships. This term 10,000 students received scholarship awards and Rs. 800 million is spent on this exercise.

The Government is spending this money at a time it incurred Rs. 140 billion defence expenditure to ensure peace and freedom to all communities to live in any part of the country they liked.

Highways and Road Development Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said the Mahapola scholarship awards are made for the 26th consecutive year.

Students who have completed their education with the help of this scheme were today holding various responsible position in the country and they are remembering the founder of this scheme with a sense of gratitude. He said SLFP led Governments had increased the Mahapola allowance by Rs. 500 twice.

The present Government had appointed an undergraduate to the Mahapola Management Broad to enable students make their representations if any, directly to the Board. The present Government would never privatise education.

Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana also spoke.

Co-operatives Minister Abdul Majeed, Consumer Services Minister H.R. Mithrapala, Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives and Consumer Services Ministry Secretary and Mahapola Trust Fund Secretary Dr. R.M.K. Ratnayake were also present.