This is the time for the country’s expatriate intellectuals/professionals and others, to return to their roots and help rebuild the Nation which was destroyed by terrorism, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing at the inauguration of the 103 - annual sessions 2009/ 2010 of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka held at the BMICH yesterday.

Unlike in the history today even ordinary persons have patriotic feeling towards the motherland, he said. It is necessary for professionals also to have the same feeling.

This is the time for us to think what our obligations are towards the country. Then this country will give us more than what we expected, President Rajapaksa said.

The President mentioned that our country's engineers rebuilt the power supply, water supply and roads which were destroyed due to Tsunami within few days after the disaster and said that the Government will expect assistance of the engineers to rebuild the Nation which was destroyed by terrorism.

The President told engineers “Structures you built with so much hard labour and which cost billions of rupees were destroyed within seconds using a few kilos of C-4 explosives.”

“Due to this fact, successive Governments were reluctant to enact major development projects, specially in the North and East," he said.

“We have ended that era. Our heroic Security Forces liberated this country. With this we have instilled a sense of confidence among people and other nations that this country has a bright future. Now it is up to you to work towards realizing that goal,” he said.

"The humanitarian operation is now over. The country which was won through the use of weapons would be protected with the use of ploughs and other machines used for development,” the President said.

He also noted that the Government had embarked on a mega development drive with over Rs. 5 to 6 billion allocated for the purpose. Many programs larger than that of the Mahaweli project are coming up simultaneously in several locations, he added.

He further said that the common man was rallying round with much optimism and it was up to intellectuals and professionals to harness that enthusiasm and direct it in the proper channels.