National Service is a must to a developing country
Posted on August 6th, 2019
Dr. Sarath Obeysekera
We keep watching TV about the daily demonstrations by young generations where male and female students with young monks with overgrown hair. What a waste of energy and valuable time.
In Russia, I remember how the young generation of the same age group in the universities behaved. They are supposed to do service in the forces after school before coming to university or after. Every summer group of youngsters was always sent to villages ( they use to call the farms KOLHOZ-means collective farm ) to either uproot potatoes or pluck cabbages. They loved those trips as they can enjoy a month on a holiday.
I used to work in Norway, where all the youngsters are supposed to go for military training. I had a Sri Lankan friend whose both children served in the military in very cold winter times, When they were back I found the very discipline and progressive mind. Today they are married, buy a house at 24 years and live a disciplined life.
I have a friend in Singapore who sent his son for military service and now he is a dentist doing well.
In Sri Lanka youngsters can be given the chance to serve in the Military where they are told to join as volunteers in Health, Agriculture, Engineering work, etc so that they have some basic idea where they can continue the education after a 1-2 year service.
It may also be prudent to plan to entice some of them to be monks lime in Thailand so that they learn some spiritual aspects of life!
President is always talking about his strong decisions making actions citing revival of the death penalty .getting rid of drug menace etc.
What he should do is use his somewhat dictatorial power (whatever left) and initiate national service for every youngster in the country.
Strict monitoring of their behavior pattern should be carried out and the government should give the option to enter into a suitable education stream.
Whether it is Premadasa or Gota of Nagananda who are aspiring to lead the country, should spell out plan to implement such a program to the people.
I am sure all the parents will vote for him
Dr. Sarath Obeysekera
August 6th, 2019 at 4:08 pm
National Service is a must for a country like Sri Lanka for otherwise we will be caught of as lotus-eaters in a time of crisis. It is now patently clear that Sri Lanka’s primary concern and necessity is National Security, Economic Security and then Food Security. Then we have to secure our other primary sources of income and protect our national assets.
These are the very things Ranil W led Jadapalanaya embarked to destroy and dismantle as soon as he got sufficient power. The attack on the Central Bank, depriving the farmer – (rice, tea, rubber, spices, etc) of his fertilizer subsidy, attack on the Buddhist Establishment and eventual pauperizing of the populace were all geared to make Sri Lanka a failed state and make our Motherland ready for US led Western Liberal Neocolonialist take over.
National Service is one among myriad other measures necessary for the New President to put in place in order to truly make Sri Lanka a place to live on with peace and dignity!