Mr. Chairman, Your Excellency the High Commissioner
of Pakistan, the team that has accompanied him,
Hon. Members of the North Western Provincial Council,
Members of the Puttalam Urban Council, Distinguished
Invitees, Ladies and Gentlemen!
I am indeed very much honoured
by the kind invitation extended to me by the Puttalam
District Union of Muslim League Youth Fronts to
share its joy on the occasion of inauguration of
the Pakistan Aided Vocational Training Centre.
Your Excellency! Today we are glad
and proud to have you in our township which is predominantly
an ancient Muslim urban area. Muslims of this town
who live in peace and harmony with Sinhalese and
Tamil brothers constitute 80% of the total population
of about 27000. Following the forceful expulsion
of the Muslims in 1990 from the North of Sri Lanka
by a group fighting for a homeland, the population
swelled thus the total number of inhabitants becoming
approximately 33000. There are around 35 Masjids
and 5 Muslim schools in this area.
Your Excellency! We are found slumped
in dejection as this town continues to be backward
in every aspect. It is a considered opinion of all
that the poor performance in education is the direct
cause for this and this mediocrity could be seemingly
attributed to lack of academic facilities and resources.
Schools are understaffed and with no sophisticated
lab facilities. Only a handful of students excel
at the G.C.E. (O/L and A/L) Examinations and the
rest are left with no choice.
As you are aware, the economists
of the modern era have suggested ‘Knowledge-Based
Economy’. It means the economy which is the
backbone of a nation is based on knowledge. The
students left stranded with no future prospects
pose threat to the country and people and therefore
need our immediate and serious attention. They should
be guided in the right path. Job-oriented vocational
training centres are some kind of great relief and
from this angle we, Muslims of this township, look
at the Pakistan Aided Vocational Training Centre
that was declared open a little while ago under
the auspices of Your Excellency. At this juncture,
we appeal to Your Excellency to make it a fully-fledged
one in a manner that could cater on a large scale
to the needs of the younger generation.
May Almighty Allah’s blessing
be with you, your team and the Govt. and people
of Pakistan!
Thank you.
