Professionals must help build the nation now - President

Rasika SOMARATHNA

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday noted that it was time for the country’s expatriate intellectuals/professionals and others, to return to their roots and help rebuild the Nation as terrorism which forced their hand to flee had ended.

The country which is on the threshold of a new era needs the services of its intellectuals/professionals today more than at any other time in its history, to guide the nation on the path to lasting peace and prosperity, he added. The President made these observations addressing the cream of the country’s engineers at the inauguration of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka 103 - annual sessions 2009/ 2010, held at the BMICH. The President continuing his address said that after the heroic Security Forces had ended the reign of terror which gripped the nation for almost 30 years it was now up to the professionals to put their hand up and make their contributions to rebuild their motherland.

He told engineers “Structures you built with so much hard labour and which cost billions of rupees were destroyed within seconds using a few kilos of C-4 explosives.”

“Due to this fact, successive Governments were reluctant to enact major development projects, specially in the North and East.

Intellectuals/Professionals with exceptional talents were driven away as they did not have proper opportunities”.

“We have ended that era. Our heroic Security Forces liberated this country. With this we have instilled a sense of confidence among people and other nations that this country has a bright future. Now it is up to you to work towards realising that goal,” the President said. “Your association which represents the largest concentration of engineers is celebrating 103 years in office at a watershed period in the country’s history. This era could go down as the period which gave structural development its pride of place.”

“So it is up to you to be part of that history and help rebuild this nation.

The humanitarian operation is now over. The country which was won through the use of weapons would be protected with the use of ploughs and other machines used for development,” the President said.

The President also noted that the Government had embarked on a mega development drive with over Rs. 5 to 6 billion allocated for the purpose. Many programs larger than that of the Mahaweli project are coming up simultaneously in several locations, he added.

He further said that the common man was rallying round with much optimism and it was up to intellectuals and professionals to harness that enthusiasm and direct it in the proper channels. He noted that foreign nations too were keeping a close eye on Sri Lanka due to its potential. However it is not appropriate for some countries to engage in attempts at denying the country necessary funds/concessions at a time the nation was looking ahead at a bright future.

IESL President Dharmasiri de Alwis speaking on the occasion said, “the institution, will be in the forefront, in all this challenging and arduous tasks, of not merely building bridges on the highways, but also engaging in building bridges of social harmony as well, in the best interest of our Motherland, as we have done in the best and the worst of times, in the past.”

”The dedication and the commitment of our engineers, in an array of duties, in the aftermath of the tsunami, bears ample testimony to this. Now, with the post-war dust settling quietly, the development of the North and the East, will be our highest priority, during my tenure in office”.

Awards and Certificates were presented to chosen IESL members and outstanding junior inventors. Ministers P. Dayarathne, Mano Wijerathne, other politicians, public and military officers, IESL engineers participated.

The annual sessions which were inaugurated yesterday will continue until October 10.