Compulsory training to instil discipline, not jeopardise freedom of choice

By Rear Admiral (Rtd.) Dr. Sarath Weerasekera

Rohana R. Wasala, whom I respect as an erudite academic, in his article ‘Candour without caution dangerous naivety’, published in The Island of July 29, 2021, does not think that a vast majority of our youth lack discipline, disobey rules and are without good behavioural values.

He was responding to one of my statements that all young persons, above the age of 18, should be subjected to military training to inculcate disciplinary values in them. Wasala at the outset says “not so arbitrarily, not so hastily” and continues to ask “isn’t it more urgent to look after the discipline of minority Police officers who act in ways unbecoming of their profession?”

Yes, of course, it is very relevant. As the Minister of Public Security, before I call for the training of the youth in the country on discipline, I must put my house in order. I have already taken steps to ensure professionalism of each police officer and man. This exercise is not confined to the freshly recruited young officers. Irrespective of rank or seniority, a serious effort is underway to weed out those officers and men in the police force who tarnish the good name of it through their corrupt practices.

Returning to the core question as to whether our youth are disciplined, we must ask ourselves as to what gave rise to the consensus that our youth are undisciplined, for that matter not only youth but a majority of our society. For example, during the past 10 years, the total number of deaths resulting from road accidents was 27,000. (During the three decades of war, only 29,000 have died). This year, from January to mid-August, approximately 1,700 have died on the road. The accidents were due to speeding, drunk driving, driving under the influence of drugs, violation of basic traffic rules, scant respect to other drivers or riders and lack of tolerance and restraint.

A few months ago, on Marine Drive, Bambalapitiya, an 18-year-old youth, riding his motorbike at high speed, killed, on the spot, a pregnant woman and her two children on the crossing. The future of the youth is also ruined as he has been charged with murder.

Discipline is the process of training oneself in obedience to the laws and self-control. This controlled, ordered behaviour of an individual resulting from such training is a basic requirement of a civilised society. Wasala should know whether schools in the country train the students in this regard. Aristotle rightly said discipline is obedience to rules formed by the society for the good of all. Talents and genius alone are not enough to achieve success. Discipline has an equally vital role to play. Talents blossom in a disciplined person.

A few years ago, I watched the World Cup football final in a famous city. The day before the opening ceremony, there was a musical show featuring world-famous musical groups. The ground was packed with more than a hundred thousand people, mostly youth, enjoying themselves thoroughly, singing and dancing, with cups of beer and wine in hand. Not a single incident occurred and after the show ended and people left, there was not a single paper cup or any other litter on the ground.

Regrettably, this is not the case with our musical shows in the suburbs. Almost every one of these invariably ends in stabbing or fisticuffs. Women are not safe without male escorts. Are these not indicators of an undisciplined society?

In Singapore, a young woman can safely travel in a taxi, even in the middle of the night. Ours is a Buddhist country where ‘Pirith’ is chanted morning and night with sermons of ‘Bana’ heard throughout the day. Yet, even an old lady or a child is not safe alone. That is the reality. This should put us all to shame.

Last year, there were 34,000 inmates in prisons of which 11,000 were drug addicts, mostly young. Clearly, our education system has failed to raise awareness, among children, on the devastating health effects of abusing substances, such as narcotics, or the dangers of associating with drug cartels. Where do we teach the youth that having in possession even five grams of heroin carries the death penalty or about the ruin that awaits the drug abuser and their families?

Once I visited Taiwan, with a Buddhist delegation, and had the opportunity to visit a College of Medicine in a national university. I was stunned to observe the discipline of both male and female students moving about and attending classes, their behaviour in the dining hall, the cleanliness of the premises and the beauty of the environment. That university is not only a training institution for medical personnel but also a centre of excellence to promote the advancement of society. Their objective is to cultivate cultural and humanistic students with morality, self-respect, responsibility, honesty and integrity. They attend humanities courses and participate in community services. They stress the importance of ethics. It is very strict with regard to syllabusses and examinations and each student knows exactly when he or she will graduate, provided they get through the exams. No strikes, no ragging.

What about our universities? Gaining university entrance is not an easy task. Although nearly 300,000 students qualify for tertiary education only about 30,000 gain university admission. One would think that after sacrificing the better part of their childhood to achieve this difficult goal, an undergraduate would appreciate every moment of this opportunity and make full use of it.

Instead, most of our young undergraduates do not even groom themselves properly. Such is the disrespect with which they treat this opportunity that is denied to many others. Sri Lankan medical students lost an entire year of studies by engaging in protests against SAITM. The loss of one year, from a person’s life, and the resulting colossal waste of state resources cannot be considered liberty or freedom of any sort. One’s liberty cannot violate another’s freedom. As such, discipline involves a measure of restraint on liberty, necessary in the interest of society.

Coming back to the subject of “compulsory military training” for the youth, one may remember the programme of “compulsory training” conducted by the army during the Mahinda Rajapaksa government for fresh university entrants, before the commencement of their degree courses. How many people, political parties and parents objected to it and criticised this initiation programme?

It was amidst such criticism that these courses were conducted. Yet, at the successful conclusion of these training sessions, students prostrated themselves before their instructors. The programme was very well received by the students, parents and also the general public. These undergraduates were taught how to dress properly and even trained on table etiqutte, allowing them to conduct themselves with dignity. They were also trained in unarmed combat! A sense of patriotism was also inculcated in them.

Malaysia, which secured its independence just one year before us has become a developed country mainly because of patriotism and discipline. When we compare our country to nations such as Japan, Singapore or China, it is obvious that we are very badly in need of discipline.

To develop the country, first and foremost, the people, including the rulers, must be patriotic. As such, there must be empathy for fellow citizens struggling with poverty. There must be a determination to promote material and spiritual wellbeing for all. Japanese schools have included ‘patriotism’ as a subject in their curriculum.

How many of our youth know our history? They must appreciate their heritage and nurture a sense of pride. Only through this sense of belonging can the country’s younger generation be moulded into responsible citizens.

Our society is diverse. Training courses for the youth will also help overcome racial, religious and other differences, and make them realise that all citizens are equal.

Military training does not mean training one to be a soldier. The assistance of the army should be enlisted because it has all the necessary facilities, human and physical resources to conduct such training.

In a democracy, anything ‘compulsory’ is seen as going against the democratic principle of ‘freedom of choice’. The absence of discipline means decay.

Nothing is lost by receiving this type of training. The worst that could happen is that some of the incorrigible may not change even after the training. However, this course will definitely not turn anyone into a terrorist or a criminal. The syllabus can be prepared with the sole objective of instilling discipline and patriotism and giving every individual a purpose in life. (Patriotic academics like Wasala may assist.) A training course such as this, that prepares one to face life with courage, will place neither the individual nor society in any danger. It is done with caution and not arbitrarily.

(Dr. Sarath Weerasekera RWP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc is the Minister of Public Security)