The expansion of Sri Lankan Ayurveda in the United Kingdom was marked a few days ago at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London, with the official launch of the Siddhalepa & Ayurveda Medical UK Collaborative. The occasion brought together dignitaries, Ayurvedic and medical professionals, wellness industry leaders, and members of the Sri Lankan and British communities to celebrate the formation of a strategic partnership aimed at improving access to authentic Sri Lankan Ayurveda medicine in the UK.

Delivering the welcome remarks, Dr Roshan Jayalath, Director of Ayurveda Medical UK, outlined the collaborative’s commitment to strengthening clinical standards, preserving cultural integrity, and enhancing global recognition of Sri Lanka’s rich medical heritage. Addressing the gathering, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in London, Nimal Senadheera, underscored the initiative’s significance in promoting Sri Lanka’s cultural legacy, deepening bilateral relations, and creating new opportunities for cooperation in the fields of Ayurveda and wellness. He reaffirmed the High Commission’s support for initiatives that elevate Sri Lanka’s international profile.

Joining the event virtually from Sri Lanka, Asoka Hettigoda, Chairman of the Siddhalepa Group, spoke of the company’s 200-year Ayurvedic lineage, its 90-year commercial history, and its standing as a global leader in authentic Ayurveda. This was followed by a presentation by Mrs. Shevanthie Goonesekera, titled The Origins of Siddhalepa, which traced the brand’s evolution and its enduring contribution to Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage.

Directors Prof Vijay Nayar and Dr Prag Moodley outlined the collaborative’s vision for a structured, clinically responsible model of Ayurveda practice in the UK, while Dr Vani Moodley spoke on Ayurvedic diagnostic principles and the philosophy underpinning the “Signs of Life” approach.

By Sujeeva Nivunhella
in London

As global attention focusses on high-stakes peace negotiations, a definitive Sri Lankan perspective on the promise and perils of negotiated conflict resolution comes to print

At a moment when the world is closely watching peace efforts linked to conflicts in Thailand and Cambodia, Gaza and Ukraine, a new book by Prof. G. L. Peiris revisits one of the most closely scrutinised peace initiatives of recent times: the negotiations between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Titled ‘The Sri Lanka Peace Process: An Inside View,’ the book is published by Vijitha Yapa Publications. The hardcover volume provides a scholarly, candid and first-hand account of the peace process that began in Sattahip, Thailand, on 16 September 2002, amid widespread international expectation that a brutal 30-year conflict was finally nearing its end.

Prof. Peiris

The talks drew global attention not only for their ambition, but also for what they symbolised: the hope that dialogue could succeed where decades of violence had failed, and that Sri Lanka might offer lessons for the negotiated resolution of other ethnic conflicts. The reality proved more complex. The process unfolded amid international scrutiny, encountering structural weaknesses, competing agendas and political vulnerabilities that ultimately led to its collapse.

This book examines that journey in detail. It analyses the design of the peace process, its strengths and inherent flaws, the limited gains that were achieved, and the factors that precipitated its failure. Importantly, it does so through the lens of the individual who led the Government of Sri Lanka’s negotiations in face-to-face talks with one of the world’s most ruthless terrorist organisations, the LTTE.

Prof. Peiris brings exceptional authority to this narrative. A former Dean of the Faculty of Law and Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, he has also served Sri Lanka as Minister of External Affairs, State Minister of Defence, Minister of Education and Minister of Justice. His academic credentials include a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours from Ceylon, and Doctorates from Oxford University and Sri Lanka.

Drawing on this blend of academic rigour and experience at the highest levels of governance, Prof. Peiris offers an objective, analytical and deeply personal account of the peace talks. The narrative is enriched by first-hand insights into the personalities involved, the strategic calculations on both sides, and the realities of negotiating under intense domestic and international pressure.

As contemporary global leaders grapple with the complexities of ending armed conflicts through dialogue, ‘The Sri Lanka Peace Process: An Inside View’ serves as a timely reminder of both the potential and the fragility of peace processes, and of the high cost of missteps along the way.

The book is available in hardcover at Rs. 7,500.

A 55-year-old wild elephant that suffered severe burn injuries at Seeppukulama succumbed to death around 4.00 p.m. yesterday, despite treatment by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), sparking outrage among wildlife activists and renewed calls for accountability.

Wildlife Conservation Publicity Director Hasini Harishchandra told The Island that the injured elephant had gone missing for a period after the incident and was later located in another area, after which veterinary treatment was initiated.

“We were providing saline and other medication, but the injuries were extensive,” she said, confirming that the elephant died while under treatment.

According to wildlife activists, the elephant had allegedly been set on fire by villagers at Seeppukulama, causing critical burns across large parts of its body. Graphic images and videos circulating on social media intensified public anger, with many questioning the speed and seriousness of the official response.

Elephant activist Panchali Panapitiya, speaking to The Island, accused authorities of failing to act swiftly. “This elephant was burnt by fire by villagers. It was badly injured and in immense pain. The Director General of Wildlife Conservation is yet to ensure timely treatment and, more importantly, arrest those responsible,” she said.

She stressed that the incident was not an isolated case but part of a disturbing pattern of violence against wild elephants, amid escalating human-elephant conflict. “If perpetrators are not arrested and prosecuted, these crimes will continue. Strong action is the only deterrent,” Panapitiya added.

Environmentalists and conservationists say the death of the elephant underscores systemic failures in wildlife protection, particularly in conflict-prone areas where elephants are increasingly targeted with firecrackers, explosives and now fire itself.

They called for an immediate criminal investigation, arrests of those involved, and stronger ground-level intervention to prevent such acts of cruelty.

As public anger mounts, pressure is growing on the DWC and law enforcement authorities to demonstrate that the killing of a protected animal will not go unpunished.

By Ifham Nizam