Youths contribute much to development - President

Youths of a country are more precious than gems and jewellery, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said at the passing out ceremony of the National Youth Corps 2012 batch of the National Youth Services Council at the Diyagama Mahinda Rajapaksa Grounds yesterday.

He said youths between 15 and 29 represent a 26 percent of the total population. "Many countries reach the top rung in development with the contribution of their youths. The development of a country receives massive impetus with the increase in the youth population," he said. "We, elders should understand the mindset of the youth as the present environment is totally different from the past," the President said.

"They should be guided to make a better world together with the thinking culture enriched by Buddhism," he said.

"I can still remember the period which we underwent. When I attended a funeral of a war hero at Sangappaliya, Galgamuwa, the mother of a fallen soldier said she had three sons and two died in the battlefield and the other son will also be joining the Army," the President said. He said that day he decided his second son Yoshitha would be joining the Navy.

"July was considered inauspicious for Sri Lanka as this month was famous for incidents like the Black July and July strike. But these youths have changed that myth," he said.

"I was never of the opinion that the youth can be categorised as competent and incompetent. Each child is capable of something. The problem is parents and teachers fail to identify that talent," he said.

President Rajapaksa said he assigned Youth and Skills Development Minister Dullas Allahapperuma to identify youths' talents and bring them forward.