We should enter the world of science and technology and at the same time preserve our cherished cultural values, so said President Mahinda Rajapaksa while participating at the National Nenasala Convention 2010 held at Temple Trees recently (8).

HE President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the gathering

Speaking further on the occasion the President said that he was pleased with the success achieved through the Nensala project under which currently there were more than 600 Nenasala centres island-wide. The ICT literacy which was around 5 per cent at the time the Nenasala project was launched has now reached the 30 per cent mark. "Thanks to these Nenasala centres people in distant rural villages are now in communication with the whole world. Now we are in an era in which the world is equipped with a deep knowledge about computer technology. We should think more of the future and our children. Where would we be in ten years' time? We should create for the future generation an environment where technology could be used for good governance and righteous social life.

Referring to the youth in the north and east who had been long denied the march towards knowledge and for whom now the path of knowledge was wide open, the President said: "We have now redeemed the country from terrorism. Some elements wanted to divide the country. They prevented children from having access to knowledge. They gave the youth T56 instead of knowledge. We want to put things right. We want to give the youth what had been denied to them. We want to give them knowledge. We cannot let the forward march of the country to be reversed. There is no way we can permit democracy to be replaced by dictatorship. Now that the Nenasalas are available island-wide people in the rural villages can now access the internet and know about persons like Hitler and Pol Pot. We should move from the era of terror to an era of peace.

On a note of warning about the traps that are around to take hold of the innocent the President said: "We must guard ourselves against getting entrapped into a reversal of good things we have achieved. Now that the division of the country by war has failed some are trying to take the country back to the period of strife and disunity by other means and agreements.

"Our hope is to make the future generation equipped with the knowledge and skills that are necessary for them to be on par with their counterparts in the most advanced countries of the world while preserving the pristine cultural and spiritual values of the motherland. May you have a brighter future", the President concluded offering his greetings to the audience consisting mainly of the 600 odd Nenasala centre owners and operators.

Joining the occasion Science and Technology Minister Professor Tissa Vitharana said that the Nenasalas established island-wide according to the concept of President Mahinda Rajapaksa had contributed much to bridge the gap between the city and the village. This has been further supported by the Vidata centres. The Minister also referred to nanotechnology and disclosed that steps were being taken to set up a nanotechnology centre in Sri Lanka.

Urging the audience to be industrious like countries that have made great strides in technology the Minister said "Countries like the US, Japan and Germany are far ahead of many countries in the world. However countries like South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia which were economically of a level on a par with Sri Lanka have improved to a higher level by proper use of technology. Functions like this convention will encourage the owners and operators of Nenasala to continue the good work they are doing in the village towards taking the dividends of ICT to every citizen".

The Minister also commended ICTA for the contribution it was offering for making the benefits of ICT accrue to the people. While ICTA chairman Professor P. W. Epasinge welcomed the audience S. B. Dissanayake also addressed the Nenasala Convention.