Nation before personal goals - Defence Secretary

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said that every citizen should think as to what he or she could contribute to the nation before fulfilling personal goals.

The Defence Secretary was speaking as the chief guest at the annual prize giving of Ananda College, Colombo held at the Kularatne Hall on Friday.

He said that if one thinks that wealth is a pleasure, he or she would never be able to amass wealth that would bring satisfaction, whereas the one who thinks of serving the nation above anything else would always be satisfied and content.

The Defence Secretary further stated that it was the responsibility of the school to create a citizen in students who would think of the nation and country by performing the duty entrusted to them properly, rather than creating one who would attempt to reach his personal targets selfishly.

He also said that the examinations and competitions in schools and the education system today creates a selfish student who would only be concerned about his own success which should not be the case. Now to think that success is to become an engineer, doctor or a lawyer is a stale concept and there are many other professions that one can serve the nation through.

He also stated that not being qualified for university education is not a criteria to define that one is not intelligent or not talented. He added that there may be many other options that would make you an outstanding person in a particular field and you should not miss this opportunity. He also said that students should engage in extra curricular activities in addition to studies that will inculcate leadership qualities, team mentality and confidence.