8 February 2021 12:00 am Views - 125
By Yohan Perera
Legislation will be introduced to Parliament in the near future to give legal provisions to provide military training to the youth, Minister of Public Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera said yesterday.
Rear Admiral who was speaking during the Colombo District Public Security Committees Convention at Youth Centre Maharagama said the training will be aimed at making the Sri Lankan youth a disciplined lot.
“I proposed providing military training to the Youth in the recent past and received many criticisms. One of the retired senior military personnel accused me of reciting fairy tales. However, if we design a proper training course under which youth are trained in various aspects such as the geological importance of our island nation, our youth will come out as a disciplined lot. Also if such training will be more effective if we provide training in military camps,” he stated.
We did give training to university students during the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime before 2015. One such youth phoned me and told me that the training they were provided was effective. He actually requested for yet another training, the Minister said. The Minister said Public Security committees have a special role to play. “Public security committees will comprise retired security/police officers and abled youth in the villages. One of the roles these committees will have to play is to provide information to police about the criminals, child molesters, rapists, drug dealers and illicit liquor producers.