Zoom meeting reports

Meeting details with the latest first 

2025

SLLS 132: Sunday Sept 14th. Sustainable Regenerative Tourism in Deraniyagala. Dr Nishanthi Dolage.

Nishanthie Dolage is a Consultant Psychiatrist. Her postgraduate training involved several years of Child and Adolescent and General Adult Psychiatry in both Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

She has a special interest in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, ADHD, ASD, Perinatal Psychiatry, Military Psychiatry, eating disorders and 3rd wave psychological therapies such as Mindfulness and Compassion-Based Therapies.

She received an MA from Bangor University for Mindfulness-Based Programmes. She is also interested in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Brief Interventions.

Her special hobbies are camping, glamping, agroforestry, meditation and wild swimming

SLLS 131, May 18th Sunday at 2.00 pm UK, and 6.30 pm SL

Prof Shihan de Silva Jayasuriya.

Leonard Woolf’s The Village in the Jungle:  New Perspectives

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CqaUwZzW1E

SLLS 130: Sunday Mar 30th.  13:00 GMT Gold Medalist at S Asian Visually Impaired Boxing

Khalid Oshman Tuan Haji

SLLS 129: Sunday Mar 2nd:

13:00 GMT "Twins in Science and Society: Bridging Multiple Frontiers"

Prof Atula Sumathipala

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_IhpWuuSl8

SLLS 128: Sunday 16 Feb, Agricultural Toxicant Diseases of SL's dry Zone.

Dr  Kamal Gammanpila   

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJIsyae0n9c

SLLS 127: Sunday Jan 26th: SL Public Servants, are they Masters or Servants  

by Austin Fernando.  Former Secretary to President Sirisena and later High Commissioner to India.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz-bJ2tHf14

SLLS 126: 5TH January 2025.GMT 13.00 hrs 18:30 SL

Sri Lankan Cricket in the UK: A Story of Migration, Recreation and Sociability. 

Rochana Jayasinghe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG

SLLS 125: Sunday 1st December  at 13:00 hrs UK time

 "The musical missionary: a harmonious Interlude in SL History".

Prof Dinithi Fernando 

Professor in the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo

https://youtu.be/ThptCKH8vak?si=cKFDhrU3tJvUWNWo

SLLS 124: Oct 20th. Sunday at 2.00 pm GMT. 

"The Beauty of the Music of Sunil Santha"

Dr Ruvan Ekanayake

SLLS 123 Sunday Sept 29th  13:00 hrs UK

Poetry: a means to inculcate attitudes and evoke humaneness in  medical professionals "

Prof Narada Warnasuriya

SLLS 122 Sunday June 23rd, 14:00 hrs UK

"The dream, reality and the nightmare - will history repeat itself?"

Dr Lalith Chandrakantha

SLLS 121: Long-Term Traits of SL Public Education: Surveying the implications of the SL Education landscape... @ Sun 26 May 2024 14:00

Dr  Ajith  Rajapaksha

SLLS 120: 15th Century Interactions between Sri  Lanka and China @ Sun 12 May 2024 

Dr Ajith Amerasinghe

 SLLS 119: Being Gay in a SL Family by Dr Lalith Wijedoru @ Sun 17 Mar 2024  

SLLS 118: Our Village Festival: Reflections on Sri Lankan Culture Through Children's Artwork. This was dedicated to Dr Prasanna Coory, one of our previous presenters who sadly passed away recently. Prof Simpson and Prasanna were close friends and he spoke of the sterling qualities of Prasanna and how much he missed him.

The Dr Prasanna Cooray Memorial Lecture

Prof Bob Simpson, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, University of Durham, UK. 

His presentation was richly illustrated with beautiful drawings by Sri Lankan children. It was followed by a very active discussion on various aspects o f art with special reference to children.

SLLS 117: Sunday 14th January 2024 at 15.00 (3:00 pm UK), 20.30 SL

Topic: "SL Economic crisis: NPP (National Peoples Power) or known as JJB (Jathika Jana Balawegaya) Solutions "

Speaker: Prof  Anil Jayantha Fernando.

Format: This was an open  Q&A session. 

Prof Fernando presented the NPP economic plan with a PowerPoint presentation which  was followed by a lively and participative Q & A session. The meeting lasted 2 hours and there were over 60 participants. 

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2023

SLLS 116 Sunday the 12th November 2023 at 1300 UK/1830 SL time

Topic: The Legacy of Karunaratne Abeysekera by Dr Upul Wijeyawardhana.

Chaired by Dr Mevan Wijetunga

He is a wordsmith extraordinaire as he excelled in both the written and the spoken word; a rare achievement. He showed his talents in the written word by being among the great poets of the ‘Colombo Era,’ a sought-after scriptwriter for Sinhala cinema and, most importantly, a lyricist of lasting influence; perhaps, the greatest we ever had. He demonstrated his prowess of the spoken word as a newsreader, a presenter of programmes and concerts but he is best remembered for his unforgettable commentaries, the way he moved the entire nation to tears at SWRD’s funeral becoming part of broadcasting legend 

About the Speaker: 

Dr Wijayawardhana, a well-known cardiologist who served Sri Lanka for 23 years, culminated his career as the senior cardiologist at the Institute of Cardiology in Colombo in 1987. After moving to the UK, he served as a cardiologist in Grantham Hospital for another 20 years. Dr. W’s acquaintance with Mr. Karunaratne Abeysekera began in the mid 1950’s, when he started attending the popular children’s radio programme Saraswathie Mandapaya. 

“I write my songs not for critical acclaim but for the sole purpose of the enjoyment of listeners, without them having to turn the pages of a dictionary!” Thus, retorted Karunaratne Abeysekera during an interview when reference was made to the disapproval of some critics of his lyrical style. Paradoxically now, 40 years after his death, critics are falling over each other to praise his lyrical style: simple though beautiful and musical words arranged rhythmically to subtly convey meanings often very deep, which brought about a sea change in Sinhala music for the masses! More importantly, his philosophy has proved correct as the songs he penned still dominate the airwaves despite the vast changes in the broadcast media since his death

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SLLS 115 Sunday October 22nd 2023 2,00 pmUK.

The first meeting after the break was held  on Sunday, the 22nd of October and Dr Uditha Jayatunga made a presentation titled  "Intelligent Design as Proof of Creation"

 Uditha has just published a book- " Intelligent Design as Proof of Creation"- A Scientific Analysis.

SLLS 114: Sunday June 11th at 2:00 pm UK. Therapeutic Interventions of Buddhist Rituals in Disease . 

By Dr Prasanna Cooray 

Dr. Prasanna Cooray is a medical doctor, a social health specialist and a writer. He has a Masters in Buddhist Studies from the University of Kelaniya

He had worked as a Regional Epidemiologist, a university lecturer in community medicine, international public health manager and a health editor in a number of local and international journals. 

He is an award-winning author on health and environment.

His latest books include Politics of a Rainforest and වැසි වනාන්තරයක දේශ

SLLS 113: Sunday 7th May at 2.00 pm UK.

Dr Mahilal Fonseka. on Country music.

Sunday, 07/05/2023 at 1400 UK/ 1830 SL time

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SLLS 112: Masks and Mythology of SL by Dr Premasiri Mapalagama.

Dr Mapalagama is a Trained Pathologist by profession and has a special interest in Sri Lankan mythology and masks. He is also a keen photographer.

Sunday April 23rd 2023 at 14.00 UK time.

A well-presented talk illustrated with beautiful slides. His talk will be available on the SLLS YouTube channel very soon.

SLLS 111: An Evening with Dayan Witharan

Sunday, 26th March 2023 at 1400 UK/1830 SL time (UK time changes to British Summer Time)

Dayan is a professional photographer. He is also an acclaimed singer. ඩැෆඩිල් මලේ, දැයම පුබුදුවාලු (about Gangodawila Soma Thero), ඇල්ලෙන් නාලා with Nirosha Virajini and නමක් නොදන්නා මලක්  with Deepika Priyadharshini are some of his popular songs. He is a film actor as well

SLLS No: 110: Sundaay 18th March 2023 at 1.00 pm UK Time:  The Legacy of Arthur C Clarke (1917-19/03/2008) by Dr Kavan Ratnatunga

A very comprehensive look at the life and works of the most famous foreigner domiciled in Sri Lanka. There were 56 screens.

SLLS No: 109: Sunday Feb 19th:  Reflections on Higher Education in Sri Lanka, Prof Panduka Karunanayake

SLLS 108: Feb 5th : Merging Western & Eastern styles of singing - the good, the bad & the happy middle path" -  Dr Nilanka Wickramasinghe 

Sunday 13:00 0 16:00 GMT

SLLS 107: Reflections by Frederica Jansz: The Formidable Woman of Lanka

Sun 29 Jan 2023 17:00 - 20:00 (GMT)

Meeting No:106: 'Sinhala' Identity in the Philosophy of Cumaratunga Munidasa- Ruvan Ekanayaka 

Sun 15 Jan 2023 13:00 - 16:00 (GMT)

A masterly presentation including the view expressed by Cumratunga Munidasa on the importance of building a National identity while recognising the importance of ethnic and religious diversity. A lively discussion followed and the meeting concluded after nearly 4 hours. 31 screens

2022

Meeting No 105: Sunday Dec 4th at 2.00 pm UK time. Science Parks in Cambridge and SL

John Porter 

Meeting No 104: Sunday 27th November 2022 1.00 pm UK

Playwriting and Theatre Skills Interactive Work 

Part 1- Jaika Witana

Meeting No 103: Sunday, November 6th  at 1.00 pm UK Time , 6.30 pm SL time (Please note the changed time because of UK Winter time)

වනේ අලි, ගමේ අලි, රටේ අලි

Aruna Botejue and Sameera Weeratunga

Meeting No 102: Sunday October 23rd 2022. 2 pm UK 

A musical evening with Harsha Makalande

Harsha Makalande, Sri Lankan Pianst, arranger, teacher  and composer.

For a taste of this talented musician, please listen to this from his YouTube channel. Romanza aka Romance D'Amore is a Spanish Traditional piece  mainly played on Guitar. Here it is performed by Harsha Makalande with a slight variation. 

https://www.youtube.com/c/HarshaMakalande/featured

And this gajaga is an original arrangement based on the 'Gajaga Vannama'...one of the 18 Vannams of Traditional Kandyan Music from Sri Lanka. All the riffs and interludes have been composed by Harsha Makalande in this version released in 2000 Apri 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbcKyNi3WTA

Lasted 3 hours and included video clips of his peerofmances and an in depth discussion on notation with participants. Discussion and exchange of ideas on the concept of "Fusion" with views led by Lalanath. 31 screens

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Meeting No 101: Sunday October 2nd 2022. 2 pm UK

Can SL Cycle out of the Current Situation? 

Dr Lalith Chandrakantha , Consultant Paediatrician.

This was a most pleasing presentation, not anticipated by the title. The presenter is a keen cyclist who has cycled throughout the world and spoke passionately of his experiences and his belief that cycling has a lot of life lessons to offfer such as promoting health, a greater understanding of humanity and building a cross-cultural human community sans barriers. 

Strongly recommend watching the YouTube record of his presentation.

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 Meeting No 100: Sunday September 25th 2022. 2 pm UK 

Scientific View of our Universe 

Kavan Ratnatungab

Fascinating presentation with 34 screens present. Followed by particpataive Q&A.

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Meeting No: 99   Sunday September 18th 2.00 pm

QE II & Sri Lanka: Special Commemoration programme.

Dr Kavan Ratnatunga, Dr Ruwan De Soysa and DrJohn Porter

Meeting No: 98  Sunday September 11th 2022. 2 pm UK

Thoughts and Visions Through Brush Strokes

Lakshmi Perera

Our first meeting after the summer break featured a very talented artist and past school teacher best known for her period at Ananda College although she taught in many other schools as well, both in Sri Lanka and in the UK.  She was introduced by Mahendra.

Lakshmi Perera BSc, is a proud old Visakhian. She traces her interest and development in art to Visakha and was very fortunate to have been taught by many great teachers, including the iconic Gate Mudliyar A C G S Amarasekara. 

She taught at Ananda College in the early 70s and regards teaching there as an important milestone in her life. She was fortunate to have some of the best students in the country under her wing, most of whom are in prestigious positions today in many fields. She takes justifiable pride in still maintaining contact with the

She is a gifted Artist who has done many exhibitions of her paintings and has won many awards. She is also a talented singer, but for this presentation, the focus was on her art, and she shared her knowledge and expertise on the subject.  

Her presentation covered many aspects of art, including what to focus on when painting, different genres /types of paintings, watercolour painting and many others. Throughout her presentation she used her paintings as illustrations.

There were 84 screens forming a very appreciative audience. The Q & A went really well with the participative international audience from Sri Lanka, UK, Australia and the USA.

Meeting No: 97 Sunday 10th July at 2.00 pm UK

Ancient Hydraulic Civilization of Sri Lanka: Some New Lines of Inquiry.

Professor C.M. Madduma Bandara (Ph D, Cambridge, D Sc. (Hon.)Emeritus Professor, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Educated at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and at the University of Cambridge, England. He began his academic career at Colombo University in the mid-1960s. At Cambridge, he specialised in Land Water Interactions and obtained his Doctoral Degree in 1971. After graduation. he returned to his home university of Peradeniya where he served for over forty years. There he became the Head of the Department of Geography and rose to the rank of Professor on Merit. Subsequently, he served as the Vice-Chancellor of the same University for three years.

Professor Madduma Bandara had the experience of working at several universities overseas, including the University of Ilorin, Nigeria (1977-79), Cambridge (1987), Tokyo University (2000), University of Tsukuba (1997), UN University (1999), and at Kyoto University (2007/2008) as a Guest Professor at the Graduate School of Agriculture. He worked with reputed research scholars from, England, Japan, Germany, Sweden, India and Nigeria, in addition to those from his home country. He worked for brief spells at several international organisations such as the World Bank, USAID, NORAD (Norwegian), GTZ (German) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He played a vital policy advisory role to the Government of Sri Lanka in the capacities of Chairman of the Presidential Land Commission (1985-1989), Chairman of the National Water Resources Authority (2004), Chairman of the Academic Board of the National Institute of Education and the Chairman of the National Environmental Council.

Research studies of Professor Madduma Bandara covered a wide spectrum of academic disciplines but were mostly focused on issues pertaining to the environment, land policy, and water resources. Some of his key contributions were in watershed management, coastal zone planning, agro-well development, ancient irrigation and in the culture-environment inter-face embracing traditional knowledge systems. He was primarily responsible for the introduction of the ‘Concept of Tank Cascade Systems’, the promotion of Agro-wells in the 1970s, and the First National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP).

He is also well known for his proposal for redefining the colonial Provinces of Sri Lanka along river basin boundaries. He has over 100 research papers and publications to his credit, in reputed national and international academic journals. He won the Award of Merit from Lanka Jalani (Global Water Partnership), for his contributions to the Water Sector. The Sabaragamuwa University conferred an Hon. D Sc. (2010) for his contributions to research. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, Sri Lanka and the Royal Geographical Society of London.

The Main points in his Lecture:

• Sri Lanka is famed for its ancient hydraulic civilization - A Concept popularised mainly by western scholars.

• Recent interest in the subject with the ongoing impacts of climate change.

• Rise and Fall of the Hydraulic civilization (300BC – 1300AD).

• Causes of its collapse around the 12 Century AD.

• Archaeological and historical evidence.

• Wanniyar rule based on major tank systems

• Interest shown by colonial rulers.

• Nature and Classification of Irrigation Systems.

• Some Recent lines of Inquiry, Cascade systems and Cascade Ensembles ,

• Now declared as a global agricultural heritage system (GIAHS).

• Why rehabilitate cascade systems,

• Recent endeavours in tank rehabilitation

Meeting No: 96  Sunday 26th June at 2.00 pm UK

"Ancient Sri Lanka and the ebb and flow of Indian Ocean trade through Buddhist iconographies"

Professor Osmund Bopearachchi. B.A. from the University of Kelaniya (Sri Lanka), and B.A. honours, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. from the Paris 1 Sorbonne University, and a Higher Doctorate (Habilitation) from the Paris 4 Sorbonne University.

Chaired by Prof Shihan De Silva

He is the Emeritus Director of Research of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (C.N.R.S.-E.N.S. Paris), former Adjunct Professor of Central and South Asian Art, Archaeology, and Numismatics, University of California, Berkeley and former Visiting Professor and Member of the Doctoral School of the Paris-Sorbonne University.

He is a numismatist, art historian and archaeologist. He is an author of 15 books, 5 Exhibition Catalogues; 2 translations of books; editor of 6 volumes; author of 145 research articles; 9 prefaces; 14 book reviews in reputed international journals and 2 databases. He has read 93 papers at international colloquia; presented 292 conferences in 65 cities, and has carried out archaeological missions in 29 different countries.

He is a  recipient of prestigious international awards. French Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres bestowed most prestigious awards to five of his books and "George Perrot Medal” being the most distinguished one. He was raised to the position of the “Order of Academic Palms” by the French government. His recent publications include: Roots of Sri Lankan Art, Department of Archaeology, Colombo (2021); The Greek God Helios & the Indian Deity Sūrya: A Study in the Dissemination of Sun God Imagery, Gandhāran Art Revisited, Book 2, the ink beyond Imagination, Kolkata (2021), and When West Met East: Gandhāran Art Revisted published by Manohar, Delhi (2020). This book received the distinguished “Ikuo "Hiriyama Award” attributed by the French Academy.

Summary of presentation: Sri Lanka has been an important centre of maritime trade throughout its 2,500-year history, thanks to its location in the Indian Ocean at the southern end of the Indian subcontinent,on the sea routes between Arabia and China. Both maritime and inland trade brought together peoples of many cultures, languages, beliefs, and aesthetic aspirations. Traders were, to a certain extent, the mediators of these cultural interactions, as were Buddhist monks and nuns, philosophers, artists, and diplomats who travelled across merchant networks. As a result, not only goods but also philosophical thoughts, ideas, and artistic traditions were exchanged.

Ancient Sri Lankan art underwent radical changes, with inspirations moving from one horizon to another, merging local traditions with foreign identities in the creation of new art forms and beliefs that ingeniously incorporated the feelings and aesthetics of their respective populations. Using a multidisciplinary approach to the study of artistic cross-fertilization, the international character of Sri Lanka's ancient art focusing on Indian inspirations from the Mauryan, Sātavāhana, Ikṣvāku, Gupta, Pāndya and Pallava periods will be discussed.

Meeting No:95: Sunday 19th June at 2.00 pm UK 

"Towards a  United Sri Lanka "

Prashan De Visser 

Prashan is the Founder and President of Sri Lanka Unites, a youth movement for hope and reconciliation, in Sri Lanka. He is also the Founder and President of Global Unites, an international youth movement for transforming conflict, with established and emerging movements in 13 countries across the world.

Recently Sri Lanka Unites was named one of the Top 20 youth movements of the Commonwealth region and one of the Top 8 Youth movement models to follow. Prashan was the recipient of the Queen’s ‘Points of Light’ award in 2018 , awarded by her Majesty the Queen of England for his exemplary voluntary service to his nation through his work at Sri Lanka Unites.

Prashan worked part time as a TV host on Channel One Sri Lanka. He was the host of “Good Morning Sri Lanka (2009-2012). He was also the co-host and co-producer of a foreign policy show named Global Perspectives, which was the highest rated show of the year 2011 on Channel one. Prashan is also an international speaker and trainer in conflict transformation and proactive youth leadership. He has spoken at international youth conferences in Kenya, Pakistan, India, Australia, Uganda, Rwanda, DRC ,Malaysia , Indonesia, Canada , UK and USA. 

Please listen to two powerful and passionate speeches by Prashan. The first was a TEDx talk. and the second at the LakshmanKadirgamar Institute.

Here are the links;

TEDx- 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pCH-zG3c3s&t=9s 

and the LakshmanKadirgamar Institute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIPp75alzO8&t=183s 

Meeting No:94: Sunday the 29th of May at 2:00 pm UK tIme

Nuwan Jayatilleka, Film Director 

අද්‍යතන සිංහල සිනමාවේ අනාගතය සහ අභියෝග - Challenges to the Contemporary Sinhala Cinema 

This talk will be in Sinhalese and hosted by Ruwan.

There were 20  screens.

Meeting No: 93: Dr Eshantha Peiris 

Uncovering Musical Histories in South Asia: Case Studies from Sri Lanka and Beyond

How can we study the histories of musical styles that have no written documentation? In this talk, I suggest that it is important not only to explore the oral histories of musical sounds, but also to re-examine the stories and motivations behind particular historical narratives that we have received. Observing deep-rooted similarities between musics in Sri Lanka and the Indian subcontinent, and uncovering more recent interventions, I argue that identifying shared characteristics among musical vocabularies can point toward shared cultural histories among communities that are today commonly defined by their differences.

Here is a shorter description.

This talk identifies some musical characteristics that are shared around the broader region of South Asia, and examines their implications for conventional narratives of history. 

He is a Director of Musicmatters ( an institute dedicated to training musicians),   and graduated from New York University with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Performance and Composition He is a collaborative pianist and conductor (of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, and the vocal ensembles The Old Joes Choir and Contempon ..

Meeting No:92 Sunday April 10th at 2.00 pmcUK. Time

Wally Bastianz and Chorus Baila: Poetry, Music and Song Performed by Past and Present Artists .

Shihan presented  the history of chorus baila through the life of the composer - Wally Bastianz.  Evolving at a euphoric moment in Sri Lankan history, independence after three successive waves of European colonisation, chorus baila gave Sri Lankans a new a post colonial identity.  Important messages to the newly independent nation are engrained in the poetry of chorus baila.  Bailas on video illustrated the harmonious melodies and catchy rhythms which drive even the most demure onto the dance floor.   There were 34 screens and a very lively and interesting discussion followed. There was a view whether Wally Bastianz era baila was best called "Sinhala Pop" whereas M.S Fernando was more post Portuguese music.  One audience member had actually witnessed WallyBastianz inaction!

Professor Shihan de Silva Jayasuriya, DipLCM, BSc (Econ), MSc, PhD, FRAS, is a Visiting Professor (Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan), a Visiting Fellow (University of Cambridge) and a Senior Research Fellow (Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London), Affiliated Collaborator (University of Colombo), an elected Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society (Great Britain and Ireland) and a member of ICOMOS Sri Lanka. She is also a winner of the Rama Watamull Collaborative Lectureship award (University of Hawaii, Manoa, USA). Shihan is the UN expert on Afrodescendants in Asia, for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Geneva. She was the elected Rapporteur and an elected member of the International Scientific Committee of the UNESCO Slave Route Project (Paris). As a cultural historian, linguist, musician, ethnomusicologist and director/producer of ethnographic films, her research explores international commerce and cultural exchange in the Indian Ocean. Among her six books are African Diaspora in Asian Trade Routes and Cultural Memories (Edwin Mellen, UK), The Portuguese in the East: A Cultural History of a Maritime Trading Empire (I B Tauris/Bloomsbury Publishing, London) and Tagus to Taprobane: Portuguese Impact on the Socioculture of Sri Lanka (Tisara Prakasakayo, Sri Lanka).

Meeting No: 91, Sunday March 27th at 1.00 pm UK Time.

Anagarika Dharmapala: Vision for a Global Buddhism

Anagarika Dharmapala (AD) is a multi-faceted personality without whom we cannot think of Buddhist modernity in Sri Lanka or in the world. In any comprehensive discussion of AD we need to focus on his work in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), India and the West. But each of these aspects requires full length discussions which I will not try in this presentation. My focus in this discussion is  AD’s vision for a global Buddhism beyond sectarian and geographical boundaries.

I will begin by looking at the formative years of AD as preparatory for his vision and then proceed to examine his activism leading to a world Buddhism.

Prof Asanga Tillekeratne (PhD University of Hawai’i) is Emeritus Professor of Pali and Buddhist Studies and founder Head of the Department of Buddhist Studies at University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. During 2003-2006 he served as the director of Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya. Currently he serves as the Editor-in-chief of Encyclopaedia of Buddhism, Ministry of Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs, Government of Sri Lanka, Colombo. He has published both in Sinhala and English more than 20 books and one hundred papers. His collected works in 08 volumes were published in 2021 in Colombo.

Meeting No: 90, Sunday March 13th at 1.00 pm UK Time.

Dr Prasanna Cooray- " Politics of a Rainforest: Sinharaja Story"

This book is a timely reminder of how the environmental movement led by some eminent personalities like Cooray and a number of organisations in this country has struggled against the threats against our natural treasures and the bio-piracy attempts, instigated by myopic politically and officially covered-up mafia with business interest for decades.

About the speaker: Prasanna is a doctor, environmentalist, award-winning journalist, social activist and politician. He was the inaugural secretary of the SL Green Party. At the 2020 Presidential elections, Prasanna contested from National Development Front for Colombo District.

He recently launched the book 'Politics of a Rainforest'. He wants to talk on the same subject and about the book.

Meeting No 89: February 27th at 1.00 pm UK time

SLLS 89 Do we live upside down? How maps shape our worldview

by Rochana Jayasinghe. Lecturer (Temporary) Department of English, Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya

This was a fascinating lecture in drawing to our attention how maps of the world throughout history has been presented as “facts” but in reality has been shaped by different perceptions of those who produced them to indicate their own needs and aspirations and being selective in the use of “facts” to suit them as required. She pointed to the artificial man-made concepts of Nations and Countries drawing on the history pf Europe, Asia, Africa as examples. Colonial history has been a big part in this. She presented different World map configurations showing how the desire to show the importance of a country can dictate the view presented. E.g, one with Australia being in the middle rather than top to the right and below. The World map she presented of the same world upside down, immediately gave the viewer a different emotional perspective. A long discussion followed and the Host Ruwan thanked her on behalf of the SLLS. There were 40 screens .

About the Speaker. Rochana is a graduate of English from the University of Peradeniya and currently teaches literature at the university’s Department of English as a temporary lecturer. She is also the co-founder of Plain Tea Talk Space, a web discussion platform for youth to voice their opinions on a variety of topics and engage in stimulating intellectual discussion on contemporary issues. An avid reader and pursuer of knowledge, she is passionate about the democratization of thought, expression, and awareness. Her academic interests lie in world literature(s), femininities and masculinities, cultural theory and studies, and she is particularly interested in postcolonial and decolonial readings of various narratives

SLLS 88:  Sinhala Buddhist & Christian Immigrants in an around London

Rt Rev Bishop Keerthisiri Fernando, Bishop of Kurunegala

About the Speaker:

He is a literary person and a researcher in sociology. He has a Masters degree from Kent University. His latest research will be published in a book 'Identity Model of Religion'.

Viewers are referred to an excellent article by Bishop Fernando on " Christianity and Ethnicity  A sociological interpretation with theological implications and repercussions "

https://www.dkeerthi.com/436984746

Meeting No 87 Sunday 30th January at 1.00 pm UK time.

"Art and Architecture of Religious Confluence in SL"

Hasini Haputhantri

Hasini is a Sociologist, Museologist, writer, researcher and an exclusive tour guide.

The presentation drew on the author's research on the archaeological site and the museum of Polonnaruwa, presented in her two books 'Museums, Memory and Identity Politics in Sri Lanka' and 'Shared Sanctity: Art and Architecture of Religious Confluence.'

Hasini  re-visited colonial re-discovery of Polonnaruwa, formulation of narratives in pre and post-independent Ceylon, and the re-interpretation of heritage needed in a modern context .

http://www.humanrightscolumbia.org/ahda/hasini-haputhanthri

There were 28 screens.

SLLS Meeting 86: Time: Jan 9, 2022 13:00 London

"Exploring the non-thermal universe: the Cherenkov Telescope Array"

 Prof Tim Greenshaw. Professor of Physics, Liverpool University 

Ruwan introduced Prof Greenshaw.

"Protons and ions with energies that range up to enormous values continually bombard the Earth from space. In this talk,  he discussed how these Cosmic Rays are detected and current ideas on how they can be accelerated to their observed enormous energies. He also discussed how these would lead to the development of new instruments that will help us to learn more about the origins of Cosmic Rays and about the violent events in which they are produced, and also discuss how these new telescopes will allow us to study aspects of fundamental physics, such as the nature of Dark Matter, and how they may provide evidence for the quantum nature of gravity"

The highly technical talk was delivered with great clarity and he patiently dealt with a host of questions from the audience.

There were 32 screens,

2021

Meeting no:85. Sunday November 28th at 1.00 pm UK time (6.30 pm SL)

"The Beverley Allitt Saga"

Dr Charith Nanayakkara, Retired Consultant Paediatrician. FRCP, FRCPCH, DCH, MBBS

Mahendra took over hosting the meeting as Ruwan had a power failure and was late. Charith presented the whole saga with a carefully planned PowerPoint presentation covering the medical and ethical aspects, the questionable behaviour of the Reginal Health service and the various inquiries that took place. He brought to our attention the immense mental trauma that the clinical team, parents, children went through and the wide media attention the sage received. A lively discussion followed. There were 46 participant screens.

About the English serial child killer who was convicted of murdering four children, attempting to murder three other children, and causing grievous bodily harm to a further six.The crimes were committed over a period of 59 days from February to April 1991 in the children's ward at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital, Lincolnshire, where Allitt was employed as a State Enrolled Nurse.  In May 1993, at Nottingham Crown Court, she received thirteen life sentences for the crimes. Mr Justice Latham, sentencing, told Allitt that she was "a serious danger" to others and was unlikely ever to be considered safe enough to be released. She is detained at Rampton Secure Hospital in Nottinghamshire. Allitt will be eligible for release after 2023

Dr Charith Nanayakkara was one of the Consultant Paediatricians who worked in the Unit at the time.

Sunday November 14th UK time 12.00 pm Sri Lanka 5.30 pm Meeting No 84.

Resurrecting Sri Lankan Cricket to its former glory”  Arjuna Ranatunga

Chair; Rasieka and Ajantha Jayatunga

Rasieka introduced the Speaker and her family connections with Arjuna. Ajantha took over and took us through his career. He posed questions to Arjuna during his introduction in the manner of a "chat show". At the end, Arjuna gave his frank and forthright views on what is wrong with Cricket in Sri Lanka at the moment and his thoughts on remedial measures He spoke on Leadership qualities, the need for mentoring and guiding young cricketers, the need to have pride in representing your Nation, the need to be honest and not be tempted by money and fame and the absolute need for discipline both in and out of the cricket field. He thinks that Sri Lankan Cricket has the potential for a bright future if it is handled properly and is saddened by the current state of management of Cricket in Sri Lanka. It was quite apparent that he had the greatest admiration, love and respect for his parents to whom he owes a lot and also to Mr Mendis who was not just his Cricket coach, but his life coach as welll  This was followed by a Q&A. There were 57 participant screens. 

About the Speaker: Deshamanya Arjuna Ranatunga is a former Sri Lankan cricketer and 1996 Cricket World Cup-winning captain for Sri Lanka. He is regarded as the pioneer to lift Sri Lankan cricket from underdog status into a leading force in the cricketing world. He is an Old Anandian. He won the Observer Sri Lankan Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year award on two occasions in 1980 and 1982 and became the first person to receive the award twice. His Club was the SSC. After retirement, he worked in many posts of Sri Lanka Cricket administration. He entered politics, joining the SLFP and entered parliament, from Colombo District, in the 2001 elections.  He served as the president of Sri Lanka Cricket until December 2008. He joined the Democratic National Alliance in 2010 and contested the 2010 elections.  He was also known for supporting and nurturing young cricket talents

October   24th  Sunday at 2.00 pm UK time. Meeting No. 83

"The Cultural history and traditions of Sri Lankan Tamils"

Hosted and Chaired by Mahendra

Speaker: Dr V.Nerminathan, Retired Consultant Paediatrician, Southend

About the speaker: He was a well-respected Paediatrician who established the first Paediatric services at the Southend NHS Trust four decades ago. He started the inpatient and outpatient services and established a robust training scheme. Many postgraduates benefited by his personal dedicated involvement. Many of his trainees were appointed to consultant positions in the UK and abroad. During his tenure in Southend he periodically visited the University of Jaffna to assist in teaching. On retirement, he was employed as Professor of Paediatrics by the University of Monash to lead the teaching in their campus in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

He was a champion for charitable activities especially, to do with Hindu religion and Tamil literature as he is passionately attracted by the long history of their contribution to human civilisation like other religions and languages". (Details provided by Sir Arulkumaran Sabaratnam)

October 10th Sunday at 2.00 on Uk. Meeting No. 82

"Where Batik craft meets Contemporary Fashion" 

Speaker: Darshi Keerthisena

Fashion.Design Director and CEO Buddhi Batiks, a legacy enterprise handed down to her by her parents. She is an astute businesswoman and the head of her own company on one hand and on the other a master designer with an enviable body of work where batik craft meets contemporary fashion.

Chaired by Shanali Perera.

Report by Shanali

Then there was fashion…. What is fashion?

What does fashion mean to us? Individually, socially. Culturally?

Some anthropologists refer to clothes as “social skin”. Clothes are the skin we choose as individuals. We had no control over the skin we were born with, but we can control what we wear.

So, what we wear has meaning but what meaning do we give our clothes?

Do you think fashion is important in society?

Food for thought before we started the session…

Moving on to our speaker. I had the pleasure of introducing Darshi Keerthisena, who I got to know personally over the last 3 years and am also a great admirer of her work. She is the CEO and Creative Director at Buddhi Batiks, a leading promoter of the batik craft in Sri Lanka.

Darshi shared with us her truly inspiring journey as a Sri Lankan woman infusing contemporary fashion into the traditional Sri Lankan batik craft, elevating batik as a designer fashion brand, and bringing about the renaissance of batik, especially amongst the younger generation. How by injecting a new artistic flair into her batik creations, she reached global heights in the fashion industry. Her story told us how she triumphs at being an astute businesswoman and the head of her own company on one hand and on the other a master designer with an enviable body of work. She also touched on the history of Batik and its impact on fashion in Sri Lanka over the decades.

She ended her presentation by sharing a video with us to give us an overview of how the batik designs come to life.

https://youtu.be/L71AN2Kc_L8 

I then asked Darshi to elaborate on the following discussion points:

1. Sustainability - We currently live in an unsustainable model of society.

·        What meaning do we want to give or should give to clothes if we are aiming for a sustainable society?

·        What her thoughts are on extending the life of clothes and reducing the carbon footprint?

2. Vision for the future?

·        What her vision is for the future?

·        How does she see herself and the industry moving forward?

·         Herr thoughts on Inspiring and empowering women and the younger generation in the creative industry?

The QnA session that followed this discussion allowed the participants to share comments and questions as well as contribute their ideas. Darshi was asked a wide range of questions that covered the country Batik designing originated to the type of market aimed at by Buddhi Batiks to making chiffon batik sarees to running taster opportunities for visitors and tourists in Batik craft.

A few examples of other topics covered are as follows:

·        How long does it take for someone to be proficient in creating a Batik piece?

·        From start to finish how long does the creative process take?

·        Whether all her products are sourced locally to what her largest export market is?

·        What are the occupational hazards to the workforce in the Batik industry? How does she minimise them?

·        What are the Healthy and Safety used to protect the workers? Is the use of protective gear essential to avoid paraffin inhalation?

·        Has she thought of automating the wax application and cold dye process?

·        How helpful is the ministerial portfolio for Batik industry currently?

And, then there it was… Applause!

What an inspiring as well as an informative session it had been and concluded in our usual manner. I hope my brief account of this session gave you a hint of what the talk was about and a glimpse into the batik craft, industry and contemporary fashion.

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Sunday 26th September at 1400 UK/1830 SL  Meeting No: 81

Astroarchaeological evidence on Buddha’s "visit" to Lanka

Speaker; Dr Kavan Ratnatunga.BSc, MS, PhD

Hosted by Ruwan

There were 77 screens.

SEPTEMBER  12th Sunday at 2:00 pm UK time Meeting No: 80

"Appreciation of Visual Arts and everything else" - Jaika's presentation dealt with Art appreciation in the widest sense, biology-evolution physiology and a whistle-stop tour of his own tastes and techniques both as an Artist and the co-curator of the "proposed" Medical Museum and Art Gallery of the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo. 

He divided his presentation into two parts.

Part 1 Evolutionary reason for visual arts (Perception of colour and detail of patterns and objects Is an evolutionary attribute and is present in all monkeys and apes ), physiology of vision and neurology, Binocular colour vision,  cultural/creative evolution, how to “see” reality.

He stressed on the fact that the visual experience in our brains received through a system of pathways to our visual cortex is affected by a host of other modalities of stored memories leading to our forming a perception which will always be individual to us.

Part 2 What is visual art, creativity, his personal journey, choosing art and artists, artist..his personal collection of examples., his venture into performing arts.

His talk was illustrated throughout with paintings from past masters as well as his own. Many examples of ancient art in Sri Lanka were also discussed.

There were a lot of questions and the overall discussion was of very high quality. There were 34 screen participants.

For a full appreciation of his talk, please view the YouTube recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_o2taROAc0. 

About the Speaker: Dr Jaika Witana.

Jaika is a multi-talented Sri Lankan doctor who initially, trained as an ENT Consultant and was drawn to Otology because of the skills required in oto-microsurgery. Went back to Sri Lanka and on return after 2  years, retrained as an Audiovestibular Medical (AVM) Physician (The speciality was known as Audiological Medicine). My interest (in AVM) ranges from Tinnitus, Vestibular Disorders, and falls in the elderly. The clinical lead for his speciality in Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and subsequently retired from practice from Alder Hey Children's Hospital (approximately 2 years ago).

He states, "I am the co-curator of the (proposed) Medical Museum and Art Gallery of the Medical College Colombo and I have a strong belief that Artistic skills not only contribute to the development of dexterity in doctors (required for surgical skills) but also contribute to the development of humanistic attributes and ethical behaviour in doctors (and paramedical persons). Since 2019 I have taken on the "Art of Playwriting" and in my talk, I will (also) be explaining the relationship between performance Art and Performing Arts. I shall refer to my play "Shipping Forecast" in 14/48 festival July 2021.

My parents may have noticed an unusual dexterity or some other skill in me as a child and decided to send me to Melbourne Art Classes (from age 8 - 15) .(to Mrs. Cora Abrahams fortunately) She and the likes of Laki Senanayaka were exceptionally knowledgeable about teaching/fostering artistic skills of children. From then on as a young artist, medical student, and doctor my skill (and vision) has persisted. ... looking back should I have been an architect?"

Meeting No: 79: July 4th at 2:00 pm UK. Professor Ravi Silva CBE. "Solar energy and the energy revolution- Building stronger and smarter post covid".

Professor Ravi Silva CBE MA, PhD (Cambridge), CEng, CPhys, FIET, FInstP, FREng, FRSA

Director, Advanced Technology Institute, Head of Nano-Electronics Centre, University of Surrey.

He spoke on the importance of recognition of climate change and its effect on the planet. He spoke on the COVID pandemic and how we can learn from it in meeting the challenges facing us. Solar energy is plentiful and far in excess of what we need and if harnessed properly, can provide us with all our energy needs. But he stressed on the need for using other sources of energy in our efforts to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. He briefly touched on the energy situation in sri lanka and the appropriateness of supplementing hydropower with solar power. SrI Lanka is ideal geographically for such a combination.

A lively Q&A managed by Shihan followed, There were 65 screens.

Meeting No: 78: June 27th- at 2:00 pm UK Time. Prof Rohini Paranavitana BA Hon (Cey), PhD (Sri Lanka).

The topic of the lecture  "The Hatan Kavya or the War Poems in Sri Lanka". 

“According to Sri Lankan chronicles the history of warfare goes back to the time of  King Vijaya (ca. 5th century B.C.) followed by a number of invasions and battles throughout history. The Classical Sinhalese poetic tradition, influenced by both  Buddhism and the Indian poetic tradition, did not encourage composing poems entirely based on battles and wars. Hence, the poets who adopted other literary genres when describing the kings extolled their martial capacity. War Poems became a popular literary genre in Sinhalese literature since circa 16th century AD with the advent of the Portuguese in Sri Lanka”

About the Lecturer

Rohini Paranavitana is Emeritus Professor, Department of Sinhala University of Colombo. Professor Emeritus Rohini Paranavitana graduated from the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya in 1968 obtained a Bachelor of Arts special degree in Sinhala with a First Class. She was recruited as a Lecturer attached to the Department of Sinhala, University of Colombo in 1969 and served there for 43 years. Her interest in Classical Sinhala Literature paved the way to read for a postgraduate degree in the University of Colombo. She was awarded a Ph. D degree in 1977 for her thesis 'Sambhavya Sinhala Padyaye Kavyokti (Imagery in Classical Sinhala poetry). She has many research papers published on Classical Sinhala Literature, Sinhala Language and Folklore. She was actively involved in the Project on editing Classical Sinhala texts conducted by the Department of Sinhala for several years. She has edited on her own two War Poems Sitavaka Hatana and Kustantinu Hatana and the famous Panegyric, Paerakumba Sirita proving her consistent commitment in the advancement of research in Classical Sinhala literature. Apart from the above she has translated and published children stories, several folk tales, short stories and academic publications. She was awarded the State Literary Award for the Best Academic translation of the year 2009.

At present, she serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Sinhala Dictionary Compilation Institute, affiliated to the Department of Cultural Affairs. The work in connection with the compilation of the Sinhala Dictionary was transferred from the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society to the University of Ceylon in 1942 was re-transferred to the Cultural Department in 1972. Past editors included stalwarts such as P.B.Sannasgala and D B Jayatileka.

Meeting No: 77: June 13th 2:00 pm UK Time. Prof Saroj Jayasinghe.  "Music and the Brain" 

He was introduced by his batchmate Ajantha Jayatunga. Prof Jayasinghe's presentation dealt with the role of the brain in the origin of music, a brief introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the brain directed to the non-medical members of the audience, effects of music on the brain and music therapy. He emphasised the beneficial effects of music therapy which made use of the property of neuroplasticity. He presented evidence from MR and FMR imaging studies. A lively discussion followed. The meeting was well attended  with 96 Participants screens at one stage.

Meeting No: 76: June 6th. at 2.00 pm. Ameena Hussein. writer, editor, and publisher based in Sri Lanka.

Ibn Batuta in Sri Lanka. Non-fiction work on the 14th-century Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta.

She was welcomed by Mahendra and introduced by Shihan. Ameena spoke on her background in Sociology and interest in publishing and went on to speak about Ibn Batuta, his travels going as far east as China and about the time he spent in Ceylon. She then spoke about her own journey in Sri Lanka when she retraced his journey. There followed a lively Q&A for about one hour, There were 48 participant screens.  

Ameena graduated with two degrees in Sociology, specializing in gender and ethnicity. Read about Ameena at https://womentalksl.wordpress.com/2017/09/04/ameena-hussein/

Ameena Hussein tracks the fabled fourteenth-century Moroccan scholar Ibn Battuta’s journey to Adam’s Peak in Serendib (Sri Lanka) that takes her through the pearl rich north-western coast to the sacred mountain then all the way down to the southernmost point of the island and back to his landing point in Puttalam. Along the way, she seeks signs of the colourful traveller in the minds of men and discovers a land still brimming with myth and legend, seven hundred years later.

Meeting No: 75: May 30th . 2.00 pm UK Prof K.D. Paranavitana. "Galle - the Heritage City"

He was introduced by Shihan De Silva who asked him on how he came to be interested in the topic. Prof's presentation to 41 participants lasted about 40 mins . He  gave us a clear picture of the colonial city of Galle, the origin of the name and its transition to date. He covered the layout of the Galle Fort - its ramparts, 14 bastions such as the Sun, Moon, Star and Akersloot, administrative buildings, hospital, warehouses, law courts, manufacturing areas, residential quarters, church  This was followed by a Q&A conducted by Shihan.

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnOwqA-orI4 

 About the speaker

Professor K. D. Paranavitana was decorated with the title ‘Knight of the Order of Orange Nassau’, in 2002, by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Kingdom of The Netherlands on the occasion of 400 Years of Netherlands-Sri Lanka bilateral relations. He specialised in the Dutch language of the 17th and 18th centuries and was awarded a Doctorate by the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. His Ph. D. thesis (1994) is entitled ‘The archives of the Dutch East India Company administration in Ceylon 1640–1796’. He published many books and articles on the Dutch presence in Sri Lanka. He has won several national and international awards including the best contribution to National Heritage (Uruma Prasada Pranama), once in a lifetime State Award by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage (2014), National Award for the best Translation (Miscellaneous Subjects) at the State Literary Awards Ceremony (2016). After graduating with honours from the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya (1968), Professor Paranavitana served the National Archives since 1970, in various positions including Deputy Director and Acting Director. He also contributed to the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka in various capacities including the Head of the Department and Professor of Humanities and was bestowed the degree of D.Litt. (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his national and international literary and intellectual contributions.He is an expert on the Dutch but has also written a book on the Galle Fort.

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Meeting No: 74: May 16th :2:00 pm Musician Rukshan Perera. "Music and Social Responsibility"

"A national project that I am leading at Rotary to inculcate ethics & values in children through video animated songs. It's my brainchild and would very much like to present it to you. I have presented this to several organisations in the US and Dubai and I have their full support to spread awareness"

Ajantha introduced him and Ruwan interviewed him taking him through his musical journey starting with the influence of his most musical mother and his subsequent journey through life where music remained a prominent feature. When he was working as an IT Manager in the USA, he still kept in touch with his music. He has toured many countries throughout the World. He was in the USA for 30 years but returned to Sri Lanka intent on using his talents to help Mother Lanka.

Rukshan spoke with passion on his far-reaching, imaginative and inspirational project, "Little Minds, Strong Values". The project is aimed at children to inculcate in them moral and ethical values through music. It won the admiration and respect of the whole Zoom audience. He ended by playing some clips from his many musical creations and also answered a lot of searching questions from the audience.

There were 42 participant screens. 

The link to the Little Minds project is  www.littlemindsstrongvalues.com

Links to YouTube clips are :-

Playlist 1.  17 SONGS FOR SRI LANKAN AUDIENCE - Click here

Playlist 2.  17 SONGS FOR THE WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE. - Click here

Playlist 3.   1 RUKSHAN PERERA LIVE IN CONCERTS Click here

Playlist 4.   5 ACAPELLA COMPOSITIONS - Click here

Playlist 5.   6 SONGS FOR THE JAZZ AUDIENCE - Click here

Playlist 6.   5 TALKING PIANO INTERVIEWS WITH FAMOUS SRI LANKAN ARTISTS- Click here

Playlist 7.   3 UNIQUE HARMONY WHISTLES -  Click here

Playlist 8.   ALL SONGS, INTERVIEWS, AND CONCERTS.  Click here

About the speaker

He is a Sri Lankan-born singer-songwriter, record producer, international recording, television star, and a multi-instrumentalist

He was born in Colombo, to a musical family. Rukshan got his first piano lesson at age five from his mother, a well known music teacher/church organist for fifty years in Moratuwa. Rukshan became a self-taught guitarist and formed his first family band at the age of ten and performed over Radio Ceylon. He was educated at the Royal College, Colombo. As a young teenage musician, Rukshan Perera joined a group as a keyboardist whilst still a school boy at Royal College, fronted by Sri Lanka's 'King of Pop' Clarence Wijewardena and his partner Annesley Malewana. The group known as the 'Super Golden Chimes' went on to reach the heights of success in Sri Lanka. He has recorded two CD albums and performed 'live' concerts in Sri Lanka and around the world including the United States of America.

The following comment  is typical of many   sent in appreciation of his  presentation.

" Dear Rukshan Perera, Sir, you have not only entertained us and the world using your talent in singing and music, to teach the world at large and give a moral education which is hard to ignore the way you have managed to bring it across. You are a unique person and we are proud of you and wish you continued success in continuing your admirable mission. It’s been a privilege to be a part of this presentation today. Well done! And all the best for the future!" - Zita and Joe

Meeting No: 73. April 25th. At 1.00 pm,  UK Time: Sunday. Rohan Pethiyagoda . Biodiversity scientist,, Naturalist. and Author. "Biogeography: How Sri Lanka got its Plants and Animals" . He has also worked on tea plantations, and was the Chairman of the Ceylon Tea Board

Biogeography: How Sri Lanka got its Plants and Animals

 Sri Lanka is a part of one of the world’s 25 Biodiversity Hotspots. A large proportion of the plants and animals that inhabit the island occur nowhere else in the world. Visits to its national parks are an indispensable component in the itineraries of both local and foreign tourists, and most citizens have for nature a reverence bordering on veneration, rooted in Buddhist values that extend protection to all life-forms.Few Sri Lankans, however, stop to think where all this biodiversity came from. In this lecture, which largely avoids technical jargon, Rohan Pethiyagoda relates the island’s story. How it was originally a part of Antarctica, from which it separated around 120 million years ago, tailing India as it drifted north, colliding with Asia around 55 million years ago. En route, it had contact with Madagascar and Africa. Elements of fauna and flora from all these land masses inhabit the island even today. Its present-day biodiversity contains a hidden record of this history, which Pethiyagoda and colleagues have been gradually unravelling. Into this tapestry are woven the effects of the great asteroid impact with Earth 65 million years ago, that resulted in the extinction of dinosaurs and much else, and the devastating effects of past climate change, that contain stark lessons for the future. The talk is richly illustrated with photographs of Sri Lankan plants and animals most viewers would have never seen before.

About the speaker

Rohan Pethiyagoda is a biodiversity scientist who has published widely on the fauna and flora of Sri Lanka. A biomedical engineer by training, he took to biodiversity exploration and research as an amateur aged 32 and went on to publish more than 60 research papers in the international

literature, in addition to authoring several books on the fauna and flora of Sri Lanka. Much of this work was done through the Wildlife Heritage Trust (WHT), a foundation he endowed in 1991. The Agra Arboretum, a high-elevation forest restoration project he initiated in 1998, has pioneered montane reforestation in Sri Lanka. In addition to publishing some 40 titles in English and Sinhala since then, WHT built up Sri Lanka’s largest specimen collection for research, which he gifted to the National Museum in 2009. WHT has also helped several outstanding young biodiversity researchers expand their careers by undertaking postgraduate research. Some 150 species new to science were discovered and described through this work. Alongside his scientific career he has served as Environment Advisor to the government of Sri Lanka and chairman of the Water Resources Board and Tea Board, in addition to several international appointments. Having won wide international recognition for his work, including a Rolex Award, he has also contributed to the public discourse on science in Sri Lanka and counts sailing, piano playing and writing music amongst his hobbies. He presently divides his time between Colombo and Sydney. For a fuller biography see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohan_Pethiyagoda. 40 participants.

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April 18th. Sunday 1:00 pm UK time. Ravibandu Vidyapathy "Traditional Music of Sri Lanka".

He gave a talk-demonstration on traditional Sri Lankan music and how it has evolved and adapted to modern theatre and ballet. He gave a demonstration of Sri Lankan drums assisted by his son Jithendra. Master Class on drumming from basics to advance aspects from an expert in the field - Everybody learnt a lot on its different applications on culture, performance and psychotherapy. A stunning performance by father and son. Fantastic lesson on Sri Lankan cultural drums.

Most appreciated by the audience of 42 participant screens.

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Meeting No: 71: April 11th Sunday at 2:00 pm UK. Dr Bernardine Dias. PhD. Roboticist. Title: "Global adventures in Field Robotics"

"In this talk I will take you on a few of my adventures across the globe in a quest to design, develop, and test robotics and related technology innovations to serve a variety of needs. We will start in the Canadian Arctic, hop over the to the USA, work our way through Tanzania, Ghana, and Zambia, make a quick stop in Qatar, and end our adventure in India. Throughout the talk I will share stories about what we did, what we experienced, and what we learned. Together we will share laughs, lessons, and learnings about robots, people, and places. Please join the fun!"

M. Bernardine Dias, Ph.D., is a roboticist with over two decades of experience in field robotics and related fields. Currently a technology consultant and entrepreneur, Dias previously served as an Associate Research Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. There she developed international recognition as a lead researcher on many topics including multirobot planning, human-robot teams, technology innovation for underserved communities, and assistive technology. Her career includes numerous publications, leadership on a variety of projects around the world, and several honors and awards including the 2014 Louis Braille Touch of Genius prize for innovation. She has also delivered numerous presentations to a variety of audiences. Dias has significant experience in managing, advising, mentoring, and collaborating with highly diverse communities around the world. She remains a strong advocate for enhancing the diversity of both creators and consumers of technology.

Meeting No: 70. April 4th Sunday at 2.00 pm UK, Ajita Kadirgamar.  Title: “The Cake that was Baked at Home”: Reminiscence of the life of Hon. Lakshman Kadirgamar by his daughter.

The book depicts the biography of LK, written by her. The title was based on LK's citation when he revisited Oxford. 

About the Speaker: Ajita is the daughter of the late Hon: Lakshman Kadirgamar and describes hersell as a writer, editor, and a social media manager based in Colombo

Meeting No: 69. March 28th at 1:00 pm UK time. Dr Arosha Dissanayake. “A tale of two joys: Inspiration and happiness from music” Southern Symphonia.group of music enthusiast doctors and families in Galle.

 Arosha - Music could give answers to vexing queries in life. Together we will take a closer look at a song which has inspired us to seek our social responsibility.

Harshini - ”Kandayam gee” starts its journey in the late 50s, flourishes in the 60s, has its golden age in the 70s and evolves beyond its western musical confines to how it is in the 21st century. A walk through the decades, with performances by southern symphonia interspersed with interactive discussions.

Meeting No: 68. March 14th.  at 11:00 am Sunday (cancelled). Sunil de Silva, "The court room is a stage and all the lawyers merely actors". Former Attorney Gen Sri Lanka and Amateur drama actor. based in Sydney.

Sadly cancelled because Sunil passed away suddenly but peacefully on Saturday 27th of February. A one minute silence was observed in his honour at the SLLS meeting on28th February. His funeral was   held on Monday the 8th of March

May his life’s journey take him swiftly to the ultimate bliss of liberation from suffering.

Meeting No: 67 March 7th. Sunday 2.00 pm UK time. Dayasisira  Hewa Gamage.  Author and Anthropology researcher . "Cultural trails from Jaffna to Kandy"

He has written 2 books.  One of which is Nirupa Raja. "Breaking Myths- Revealing Asian exorcism "

About the Speaker

He was a lecturer at the  Dept of Archaeology, Uni of Peradeniya. Anthropology researcher (Working with Prof Gananath Obeysekara since 20 yrs, Free Thinker. Translator, Writer, Lot of newspaper articles, He has published two books. Exposed more than 32 black magic tricks while doing Social Awareness Programmes. Debunks superstitious beliefs.

Meeting No: 66: Sunday February 28th. 1:00 pm Lond time.

“An Appreciation of Ediriweera Sarachchandra” in 2 parts.

Part I . "Ediriweera Sarachchandra and the Sinhala drama", Prof K N O Dharmadasa. Former Professor of Sinhala, University of Peradeniya) followed by Q&A.

Part II. Reminiscence and singing songs from Maname and Sinhabahu led by Thushara Rodrigo with friends Yasodara, Malini and Diddeniya. (Yasodara is Sarachchandra's daughter who was the Maname queen, Malini Ranasinghe was Suppa Devi and Nissanka Diddeniya was the Rajaguru.)

Lecture summary:

Professor Ediriweera Sarachchandra  (1914 – 1996) who has made a singular impact on the cultural life of twentieth century Sri Lanka, is a multifaceted personality. By profession, he was a university academic but his research interests were wide and varied. Starting with Buddhist philosophy, it covered areas in Indian philosophy in general and then extended to critical studies on modern Sinhalese fiction (becoming the pioneer of critical studies in that genre), and to studies on the dramatic traditions found in folk ritual (again becoming the pioneer scholar to study the subject) and he had a good knowledge of North Indian Classical Music. He has written theoretical works on literary criticism and the art of the theatre in addition to being a novelist and short story writer of distinction.  His forte, however, was the theatre. As playwright and play-producer his impact has been formidable and he is hailed as “the father of modern Sinhala theatre.”  No doubt his wide and varied knowledge mentioned above, formed the foundation of his success as a dramatist. His career as dramatist begins in the early 1940’d with staging Sinhala translations of well-known plays from European theatre, usually comedies. The scholar in him, however, prompted him to study the absence of a classical theatre tradition in Sinhala. Here he saw that there was a lively folk tradition of theatre in village rituals and rudimentary dramatic forms. With the conviction that a national theatrical form could not be based on Western models, he utilised a traditional folk operatic form named Nadagam transforming it to suit the modern stage. The play Maname which he wrote and produced in 1956 was a  tremendous success. He followed this with several other plays in the same genre and Sinhabahu staged in 1961 is considered his masterpiece.

About the Speaker:

He was born in 1938 at Orutota near Gampaha. After his primary and secondary education in schools in Gampaha, he entered Nalanda Vidyalaya in Colombo from where he entered the University of Ceylon at Peradeniya in 1959. He graduated with First Class Honors in Sinhala in 1963 and was soon recruited to the academic staff at Peradeniya. His post-graduate studies were in Linguistics in which he obtained the M.Phil. from the University of York (England) in 1968. He did his Ph.D. studies in the Sociology of Language at Monash University (Australia) obtaining the Degree in 1980.  He served the University of Peradeniya for 41 years and retired in 2004. During his academic career, he was head of the Department and Dean, Faculty of Arts.  (1996 – 2000). He served as Chairman, University Arts Council (1985 – 2000), organizing Drama Festivals and other cultural activities in the University. Among his international awards are Fulbright Scholar in Residence Award in the USA (1987 – 88)   and Senior Fellowship at The School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of London 2001 -2003. Dharmadasa’s publications include Language, Religion and Ethnic Assertiveness: The Growth of Sinhalese Nationalism in Sri Lanka  (Michigan  University Press,1992), Bhasava Ha Samajaya  (The first book on the Sociology of Language in Sinhala, Lake House Publishers, Colombo, 1972) and  Jatyanuragaya:Samaja Shastriya Vimarshanayak (The first theoretical study in Sinhala on the subject of nationalism, Visidunu Publishers, Boralesgamuva, 2002). After retirement from University service he served as Editor- in Chief of the Sinhala Encyclopedia (2005 – 2015).

 Meeting No:65: February 21st 1:00 pm Anoja Weerasinghe. Actress: "Breathing into life"

Anoja did not want to talk at length about her film career. Ruwan interviewed her with clips shown by PP. He took her through her career and impressive achievements including several special awards. She was extremely frank when answering questions about her career and her views. She went on to conduct a Yoga session. She did a short practical session on yogic breathing techniques. She said that these breathing exercises can be done sitting down on a chair or on a yoga mat. There were 65 screens

Meeting No 64: February 14th. 1:00 pmLond. Prof Kamani Tennekoon . History meets genetics: A glimpse into our ancestry.

 A lucid and informative presentation with the full complement of 100 screens of the origins of humans and transcontinental migration with DNA evidence and brief reference to anthropology. She paid particular attention to the origin of South Easterm population including India and Sri Lanka. The Q&A in two parts was packed with interesting questions and comments.

f 

Kamani H Tennekoon MBBS (Colombo), PhD (Sheffield)

Senior Professor of Molecular Life Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

University of Colombo

kamani@ibmbb.cmb.ac.lk

Anatomically modern humans populated the world after evolving in the African continent. The path they took and relatedness of diverse populations can now be deciphered at the genetic level. This talk will outline the human dispersal out of Africa to the Indian subcontinent and to Sri Lanka.  Genetic evidence on our maternal lineages based on studies carried out in our laboratories will also be presented.

Meeting No: 63:February 7th : At earlier time of 11.30 am to suit Australian audiences.  Niranjan Selvadurai: "Second innings: Bringing free thought and poetry into focus”

Niranjan gave a presentation which was received with much appreciation by the audience of 72 screens. He gave a short summary of his career and explained how he came to translate Rev Walpola Rahula's book, Sathyodaya into English ( "Truth Awakening"). He went on to discuss the visionary thoughts of Rahula Thero and his interpretation of Buddhism. Niranjan stressed the importance of "free thinking" and promoted an attitude of humanity and tolerance, so relevant these days. He quoted the following from the book, "“The Buddhist name tag will not help you to reach Nirvana, but the ‘Buddhist conduct’ will assist you to get there. A person will not become a Buddhist by merely taking refuge in the triple gem through a verbal utterance.  Nor will the person be a Buddhist by simply wearing a robe. There are many with false views who are parading as Buddhists.”  Another quote "What is the 'Sasana'?  It is not some construction made of bricks and cement. ‘Buddha Sasana' signifies performing wholesome actions and refraining from unwholesome deeds. It is about cleansing the mind. It is represented by ethical conduct (Seela), mental discipline (Samadhi) and wisdom (Pragna). Virtuous practice is ‘Buddha Sasana’.” There was a discussion about the place of ritual and Niranjan was at pains to point out that Walpola Rahula did not look down on those he did so but pointed out that the motive was paramount and some may be in danger of being misled and then deviate form the true path.

He went on to discuss some poetry he has written in English and translated to Sinhalese.

We had a very active discussion half way and at the end. The Rev Galkande Dhammananda thero from the Walpola Rahula Institute also joined as and answered many questions related to the proper practice of Buddhism.

There was spontaneous applause when he concluded and Mahendra thanked him on behalf of the SLLS.

 About the Speaker

University of Colombo: Bachelor of Science (Physics Honours) (1979), 

Monash University: Graduate Diploma - Information Technology (1993)

His current role as a lead Enterprise Architect – Information, involves the provision of a comprehensive information platform for Sydney Water that allows the whole business to understand, integrate and access the right data at the right time.

He writes poetry and as an author, he is well known for translating to English the  Sinhala Classic  "Sathyodaya – Truth Awakening by Venerable Walpola Rahula". It was launched on 29th March 2019 at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in the presence of a distinguished gathering. The original Sinhala version of this book was written during the period 1932-34 or about 85 years ago.

Meeting No:62: January 31st at 11.00 am  Dr Enoka Kudavidanage  "The Sri Lanka Leopard".

The meeting was chaired by Devinda Karunaratne who thanked Neetha for introducing the speaker to the SLLS. There were 65 screens.

She covered a multitude of aspects including the biology of the species and the distribution of leopards in Sri Lanka. She pointed out that although Yala had more, the density was higher in Horton Planes. She spoke about the team she is working with and the methods they use to track leopards. The total leopard population in Sri Lanka is estimated to be around 700- 1000 but she feels that it is probably an underestimate. Sadly they are endangered species thanks to human-leopard conflict. Unless we understand the interactions between animal species and humans, support projects with clear work plans, with strict monitoring and specified outputs, educate the public and have a proper land management policy, things will get worse. She gave an example on how the need for agricultural land is met by deforestation which is short term and dangerous and increases  human-animal conflict. A more sensible solution would be to provide measures to improve the paltry 30% yield from current agricultural land. She showed some fascinating videos giving insight to leopard behaviour. The question was asked about the correct sinhala name of leopard and she said it is "kotiya" rather than "diviya".

It was a wonderful presentation by a passionate lover of wildlife and leopards in particular.

Dr Enoka P. Kudavidanage graduated from the Department of Zoology, University of Colombo with a BSc honours degree in Zoology and MSc in Environmental Sciences. She joined Sabaragamuwa University in 2001 as a junior lecturer in Biodiversity. She completed her PhD in Conservation Biology at the Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore during 2006-2011 as a NUS scholar, under the supervision of Prof. Edward Webb and (late) Prof. Navjot Sodhi.). Her PhD research completed in 2011 was conducted in the lowland wet zone of Sri Lanka on the impact of land use change on the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Through the same research she revised and validated dung beetle fauna of Sri Lanka as a suitable indicator taxon to monitor land use change in Sri Lanka.

Her most recent research includes a study on wildlife crimes, a population assessment and conservation of montane leopards and a status assessment of the wildlife National park system.

Meeting No: 61: January 17th at 10.30 am

Sunil Perera of Gypsies fame. About his life story, few songs of his choice with the background and any stories attached to them, his non musical work in politics, charity, business etc.

This meeting was highly acclaimed for the strong and sincere message so well articulated by him that the most pressing need in Sri Lanka (and the world as a whole) is for universal unconditional love without artificial manmade barriers such as ethnicity, religion, the colour of skin, and sexual orientation. He despaired at Politicians who create such divisions and who are hypocritical in their thinking and action. It was moving to hear how he respects and shows tolerance and understanding. He spoke about his own family and the influence of his parents, especially his father. Some of his music is satirical and digs at insincere politicians.  " Mine is better than yours implies that yours is worse than mine". When he said about Sri Lanka that "we are One Nation, we are all brothers and sisters", he meant it. He also expressed sadness tinged with understanding on the reasons that led to so many Sri Lankans seeking pastures abroad and some of the hypocritical "patriots" who "stayed behind to serve the Nation" but educate all their children at huge expense abroad. Tnere were 76 screens.

Meeting No: 60: January 10 at 1.00 pm. Deshamanaya Vidya Jyothi Ashley de Vos ."The Great Library Tradition as a Repository of Knowledge".

He is an Architect, a Senior Vice President of the National Trust and also the current President of the Royal Asiatic Society, Sri Lanka.

This meeting was chaired by Dr Shihan de Silva Jayasuriya (Regional Advisor) who introduced the Speaker to the SLLS.

About the Lecture

From time immemorial man has documented what he saw, observed, drawn on the wall of the caves and used the drawings of what he saw for ritualistic purposes and in the carvings on the instruments he carried around when they went out to hunt. This changed when man learnt to write. The memorized word was now committed in writing. First clay tablets were used, inscriptions on stone, and later on specially prepared leaves, on animal skins, on parchment, on papyrus, on ola, on palmyrah, on bamboo, on cloth, on silk, collected into grouping called manuscripts. After the Chinese invented paper, a limited number of books appeared and this led to a restricted spread of knowledge. Books were still valuable as they were mostly written and illustrated by hand. It was the printing press that was responsible for the extension and ultimate spread of knowledge across the continents. Books were stolen, acquired, read, discussed, criticized, accepted or rejected and much of this material ended up in institutions called libraries. This is in fact where our story begins. Unfortunately or fortunately we have now come to the final stage of this spread of knowledge. Deciphering correct and fake knowledge is becoming impossible, there is so much out there, it has become a complex task. Will we ever known what is correct and will knowledge as we know it cease to exist? Will man eventually vegetate to a mass of matter that will only indulge to a pre-programmed bidding?  

Meeting No: 59: January 3rd

Jackson Anthony. Famous Sri Lankan Actor, Composer, Director and Producer, Life story and other topics related to his career. Mahendra introduced the session welcoming participants for the first zoom of the New Year. The session was then handed over to Ruwan who interviewed Mr Jackson and commenced to take him through his life story. Sadly, technical problems cropped up and we lost contact with him after about 30 mins and attempts to remedy the situation failed and we decided to terminate the meeting. During the conversation however, Mr Jackson agreed to appear again in the future from Colombo (he was speaking from outside Colombo today using a poor connection). There were 72 screens today.

The opportunity was taken to discuss future arrangements for the SLLS. The consensus appear to be for 2 meetings a month from May and frequency to be determined according to season and availability of speakers. The time of day was discussed and the general view appears to be to leave the time of the meeting open without establishing a pattern for a particular time. Mahendra requested all to email him with their suggestions and also made a plea for users to look at the Website regularly.

Note:from earlier notice of meeting: Jackson said he had recently published a historical novel, 'කන්ද උඩ ගින්දර' which is available on ebook format. This is his version of Daskon-Pramila story

Jackson Anthony Website: http://www.jacksonanthony.com/

Meeting No: 58: Dec 27th. Musician and Composer Dinesh Subasinghe. 

Cancelled as he was unwell. "Aspects of Eastern and Western music and my musical career as a performed and composer" 

Meeting No: 57: Dec 13th:at earlier time of 1.00 pm UK. Prof Chandima Wickramasinghe, "Alexander the Great and Greco-Indian cultural fusion ". 

She covered how Alexander's Indian invasions contributed to blend Greek and Indian cultures in ancient India. and how Greek and Indian cultural elements fused and its socio-cultural effect with  the use of an attractive PowerPoint presentation. There was great audience participation and the 50 participant screens were not disappointed. 

 About the Speaker

Professor in Western Classics , University of Peradeniya Department of Classical Languages, Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya

PhD in Classics (Nottingham, UK) 2004, BA in Western Classics (Peradeniya) 1998 .

BA in Western Classics (Peradeniya)  in 1998.

MERVIN KULATILAKA PRIZE for the best performance in the first year undergraduate examination (1994/5).  Dr. GEORGE H. WICKRAMANAYAKE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP for best performance in Classics in the first year undergraduate examination (1994/5)  

1998.UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP for the best performance in the final year examination,(1998).

 EDUCATION MINISTRY GREECE SCHOLARSHIP to attend the summer school to

learn Modern Greek language in the University of Aegeium, Rhodes, Greece (1999).

EDUCATION MINISTRY GREECE SCHOLARSHIP to attend the summer school to

learn Modern Greek language in the University of Ionnina, Greece (2000).

 INTERNATIONAL OFFICE SCHOLARSHIP, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM 2001-2003

Prof. Wickramasinghe completed her Ph. D. working on ancient slavery with a comparative perspective in the Dept. of Classics in the University of Nottingham, UK in 2004. 

She was a Fulbright Research Fellow in the Dept. of Ancient History, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA from Nov. 2009 to May 2010 and was a Visiting scholar in Katholieke Universiteite, Leuven, Belgium in September 2013.

Her research interests are on ancient Greek slavery, Greek social history, art history, comparative studies on various aspects of Aristotle’s Ethics and Buddhist teachings and studies on Euripides. 

The University of Canterbury Classics dep as a visiting scholar from June to August 2018. 

Meeting No: 56: Nov 29th: at 1.00 pm

Dr Himantha Atukorala -    "The history of coconuts and its contribution to humankind"

He is a graduate of Colombo Medical Faculty and Consultant in Rheumatology and Rehabilitation at Teaching Hospital Anuradhapura.

He was introduced by Rasieka who discussed some aspect of his famous father, the Cardiologist Dr N.P. Atukorala after his presentation . A Q& A followed hosted by Ruwan.

This fulfilled its promise of being a most fascinating presentation as he covered  a whole range of coconut connections including the following..

• -        The origin of coconut,-        The design of a coconut tree

• -        History of coconut cultivation in Sri Lanka

• -        The religious aspect and folklore surrounding coconuts - On Lord Ganesha etc

• -        A short introduction to the game of Porapol - පොර පොල් ක්‍රීඩාව and the connection to goddess Paththini

• -        On Ran Thembili and its uses in traditional medicine

• -        How ancient trade routes promoted the spread of coconut tree

• -        An example of coconuts being used for demonism and witchcraft - යන්ත්‍ර මන්ත්‍ර ගුරුකම්

• -        Toddy tapping

• -        Ancient recipes made from coconut and a brief introduction to the famous Abhayagiri Dana Shalawa kitchen

• -        The nutritional aspects of coconut and coconut oil (and harms of palm oil)

• -        Virgin coconut oil

-        Coconut is not just food but a culture- conclusion

This is the first time we exceeded the 100 limit of participants and speaks for volumes of how eagerly anticipated this event was.

About the Speaker

He earlier worked as a Consultant at Vavuniya Hospital and the Spinal Rehabilitation Hospital, Pompeimadu. He is a Fellow of American College of Rheumatology. Dr Atukorale currently holds the post of Webmaster and Interim Board Member of Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology(APLAR) Young Rheumatologists. He is the  Co - Editor - College of Specialists in Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Sri Lanka.

Dr Atukorale also is a journalist with over 80 Sinhalese and English articles published in Sri Lankan newspapers.  His special interests revolve around Rural Rheumatology, Osteoarthritis, Back Pain and Medical Journalism.

Meeting No:55: Nov 15th  Prof Athula Sumathipala. "The rise and fall of the JVP".  2.00 pm. UK time.

This was a very popular presentation with 48 screens and over 70 participant inclduing couples. Prof Sumathipala was joined by Dr  Lionel Bopage, another well known past JVP member who is now resdient in Australia. Many questions were jointly dealt with by both. It has been suggested that a follow up meetinhg would be useful.

About the Speaker:

He graduated as a Medical Doctor in 1980 with the MBBS. degree.  He followed it up with a Diploma of Family medicine (DFM) at Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo in 1985. Sumathipala obtained a degree of MD from the same university in 1990. Later in 2004 he obtained a PhD from University of London.[ He is also the founder of the Institute for Research and Development, and founder of the Sri Lankan Twin registry. He had authored many books and publications in Psychiatry 

No: 54: Sunday Nov 8th - Roshan Mahanama at 2:00 pm. UK. "Mahendra in conversation with Roshan Mahanama, famous Sri Lankan cricketer and International Match referee"

Mahendra introduced him and took him through his career highlights and  the principles which influenced him throughout his life. He was passionate about the need to place principles above status and money and refused to compromise. He paid a tribute to his late father, Upali Mahanama for his guidance and advice throughout his life. A long Q&A followed where he was interrogated on his views on cricket in Sri Lanka, the World stage and the future of the game.  He stood out to everyone as a man of principles and a genuine compassionate human being. Mahendra requested him to send details of the various laudable Charity organisations he is involved to be published on the website.

About Roshan: Famous Sri Lankan Cricketer and International Cricket Referee  in conversation with Mahendra- "My career and reflections on Sri Lanka and World cricket. Roshan was an accomplished batsman but reached great heights as Interational Match Referee. He has refereed in 61 Tests. On 21 October 2014 during ODI series between New Zealand and South Africa, Roshan Mahanama entered the elite group of match referees who have officiated 200+ matches. He played in 52 tests and 213 ODIs, scoring over 2500 test runs, with 4 centuries and a double century. His record breaking partnership of 576 runs with Sanath Jayasuriya still stands as the highest for the second wicket  in Test match cricke

No: 53;  Sunday 1st of November at 2:00 pm UK

Swarna Mallawarachchi.,    Sri Lankan film actress, also known as the "Golden star of Sinhalese cinema".

Topic: ස්වර්ණ සැඳෑවක්  (Golden evening)

She was introduced by Ruwan and Thushara who also managed a very long Q&A session which was much appreciated by all. This was preceded by a PowerPoint slide show about her made by Chanuri Rodrigo. We are most  grateful that she was so wiling to answer a varied range of questions relating to her own career, her views on acting and producing, going through some of the many highlights in her illustrious career.  She stated that she will always be thankful for the love, respect, recognition , regard and appreciation that has been shown to her wherever she goes in Sri Lanka. Some memorable phrases- in responding to how difficult it really was so to portray a character apparently so easily, she said " It is very hard to make it look very easy". She spoke of her own personal life and said that the greatest gift she ever had was her daughter Narendra.

She began her acting career whilst still a schoolgirl - starring in the 1966 released Sinhalese film Sath Samudura directed by Siri Gunasinghe. During a career that spans over 40 years, Swarna has won the 'Best Actress Award' 26 times . There were 62 screens and over 75 people.

No: 52: Sunday 18th October at 2:00 pm

Prof B.D. Nandadeva  "Cultural Heritage of Sri Lanka: an Exclusive Prerogative or an Inclusive Identity"

Prof Nandadeva was introduced by Shihan de Silva who was responsible for getting him on Zoom.   There were 45 screens with about 60 participants.  The feedback has been tremendous. His powerful message to take heed of our multicultural heritage and to divest ourselves of parochial and myopic views was given with passion and honesty. The pressing need to ensure that the younger generation is educated with proper historical facts was emphasised. History, he said is a cultural construct and he  stressed the need for the application of  proper scientific  methods in deriving conclusions. Audience participation was tremendous and the meeting concluded after 3 hour with a round of applause for the speaker.

About the Speaker

Served as Prof and head of the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Kelaniya.

Chairman of the Panel for Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of the Sri Lanka Arts Council (SLAC), from 2016 to 2018 and appointed by the National Heritage Division of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs

No: 51  Sunday 4th October at 7.00 pm.

Prof Wimal Dissanayake  LIVING BETWEEN TWO LANGUAGES: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS .

He discussed his experiences in writing in two languages and located them in a wider context of bilingual writing with reference to some great writers in the world.

Wimal was introduced by Mevan who was responsible for getting him to appear on Zoom SLLS. He gave a masterly presentation covering a wide range of connections featuring language as a central theme and the interplay between two languages, cross writing as he calls it, as a more particular one.  He stated that writing in a foreign language  forces one to re-assess one’s attempts in one’s mother tongue. Some writers have opted to write in a foreign tongue in later life. Milan Kundera who initially wrote in Czech began to write in French, later. Similarly, the Nobel Laureate Joseph Brodsky who initially wrote in Russian later on began to write in English. The Indian-American writer Jhumpa Lahiri who initially wrote in English now writes in Italian. Interestingly, Joseph Conrad , widely regarded as a master prose stylist in English was Polish and  his second language was French and English was his third language.  He referred to Salman Rushdie, who was a contemporary at Cambridge (although he did not get to know him at the time), who used  English language  to advantage as a mode of "decolonisation from within".  Cross writing was described as a triumph of verbal dexterity. Wimal held the view that knowledge of different languages is always and advantage in writing  in whatever language and opens up fresh opportunities for expressaion.

He made references to a few of his books  (he has writtne over40 books in both in English and  Sinhalese) and  he recited relevant passages to illustrate  his points.

His deep knowledge on this was apparent and he enthused the audience and challenged them to think more deeply on the subject. The Q & A that followed showed audience participation of a very high order. The messages that followed on how much it was enjoyed was a tribute to the presenter. There were 46 screens and over 70 participants.

Some memorable phrases. "A Poet swoops into a pond of metaphors and picks what he wants". "The limits of my World are the limits of my language".  “You don’t leave your country, but you take your country with you! “ 

About the speaker

Prof Dissanayake,(M.A. – Pennsylvania, Ph.D – Cambridge, U.K) is one of the leading scholars of Asian cinema and Asian communication theory. He has also been awarded an honorary D.Litt. for his scholarly work. He has published a large number of books on cinema and cultural theory in Sinhala and English and won national honours for works in both languages. He has in all published about 40 books in Sinhala and an equal number in English. He is based in Hawaii, USA. 

No: 50.: Sunday 27th Sept- Time: 12:00 noon

Prof Sanjiva Wijesinha    "My journey on the Camino and the book it created"

He was introduced by Shihan de Silva who was responsible for getting him to appear for us.  His presentation was made using  PowerPoint with  screen  share. The following description is from a review of his book Strangers on the Camino: Father, Son - and Holy Trail  and is very applicable to his presentation. "He gave a fascinating and entertaining account of a trek along Spain's ancient pilgrim trail - the five hundred mile long Camino de Santiago. Replete with interesting snippets and anecdotes about the rich ethnic, cultural, military and religious history of Spain. He provided  a meticulous insight and perspective of a challenging journey with his son Shivantha along the Camino. The descriptions of The Way - and of the refugios and other accommodation which Sanjiva and his son Shivantha used - gave a real sense of what it is like to make a six week journey by foot over a five hundred mile trail that traverses the mountains, mesetas and mists of Spain.  He spoke of some lessons he learnt including  -there are times when we have to gracefully accept help offered by others, - the benefits of venturing outside your comfort zone. He and Shivantha dealt with a wide range of questions from the participants. There were 60 screen and probably about 85 people.

About the Speaker;- Associate Professor.   MBBS (Ceylon), MSc (Oxford), FRCS,FRACGP,

Department of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University,  270, Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill, Victoria,  Australia 3168

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No: 49.: Sunday 20th September- at 2:00 pm  

Dr Prithiviraj Fernando-  "The Human Elephant conflict in Sri Lanka".  Prithiviraj is Chairman, Trustee and Scientist CCR, Sri Lanka. (Centre for Conservation and Research) and Research Associate, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. Qualified with MBBS from North Colombo Medical College, Sri Lanka in 1990 MSc and PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Oregon.

His vision (which is that of the CCR) is "A world where the environment is managed for the benefit of all species and scientific knowledge is effectively used to prevent and mitigate detrimental effects of human actions on the environment"

He is a co-author of the publication, " Review of human – elephant conflict mitigation measures practiced in South Asia"

Prithiviraj FernandoM Ananda KumarA Christy WilliamsEric WickramanayakeTariq AzizSameer M Singh.

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No 48: Sunday 13th September - at 1:00 pm Mr Indran Hensman. Surgeon in Australia.  "Robotic surgery, AI, Digital surgery-Fiction or reality" -

  A most educational and thoughtful presentation enjoyed by all. Indran covered a lot of ground. Apart from the technical aspects and applications, he displayed deep insights into the role of the doctor and his/her duties to the patient. He was optimistic  that the "new approach" of the greater recognition of the individuality of each patient in tailoring treatment would become widespread. He alluded to the errors caused by applying the method of randomised clinical trials as holy grail. He illustrated his presentation which dealt with advances in surgical management through the use of the enormous computing power now available through robotics, imaging techniques and AI,, with short video clips. He came up with some memorable phrases such as "Until you are dead, you are alive"- we owe it to ourselves to use every moment we have to help ourselves and our fellow humans ". "If there is no problem, we don't need a solution". "If you have a tool, you need to know how to use it " . "High expenditure on health care does not equate to good care".  This is the YouTube presentation link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJr_C1QZZJo

There were 33 screens and about 50 participants.

About the Speaker:

Laparoscopic and Robotic specialist Surgeon, CEO at LapSurgery Australia, senior lecturer Monash, University of Adelaide. He is a surgeon based in Melbourne with 20 year’s experience. He is on the teaching staff at Monash University and also hold conjoint Senior lectures positions at the University of Adelaide where he supervises a Masters program in Minimally invasive surgery. His research interests are in Ergonomics in Robotic surgery. He is also lead surgeon on the implementation of  Clinical Quality registries as a tool to improve Quality in surgery an initiative of the Royal Australasian College of surgeons.

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No 47: Sunday 6th September-at 2:00 pm   Dr. Lalanath De Silva, Sri Lankan composer   'Orchestral music of Sri Lanka' 

Mahendra thanked Dr Thusitha Ranasinghe for inviting  Lalanath. Thusitha introduced Lalanath who complimented the SLLS for its success, and started his  presentation. Dr Lalanath joined us from Washington DC. He kept the audience spellbound using a YouTube presentation he had prepared for the occasion. His skill , talent and dedication as well as his humility was apparent. A YouTube summary will be produced shorty. He engaged with us in a Q& A and it was especially gratifying to note the spread of classical music from Colombo to other major cities. In his role as an environmentalist. he  also dealt with some key environmental issues  and  expressed  his concern for our future unless major preventive steps are taken by governments throughout  the world. We expressed our appreciation in the usual manner.  There were 34 screens and about 50 participants.

About the speaker:

Lalanath de Silva is a Sri Lankan composer and conductor.  He joined the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka as a Flautist in 1974.  He was appointed as its Deputy Conductor in 1991 and shared concerts with the late Dr. Earle de Fonseka.  He was appointed the Orchestra’s Conductor in 2000, a position he held till he went overseas in 2002.  He is the Orchestra’s most performed Sri Lankan composer

He was also the Founder Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra established by the Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka (1992-1996).  He has guest conducted the Bombay Chamber Orchestra, the Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra and the Long Island Youth Orchestra.  Most recently he conducted the Sun Symphony Orchestra in Vietnam.  His conducting career has emphasized the performance of new, experimental and innovative Sri Lankan music.   In this mode he has championed the works of numerous Sri Lankan composers from Harsha Makalanda, Sarath Fernando, Vasanatha Fernando, and Anil Mihiripenna, to Devar Surya Sena.

As a composer, De Silva has striven to bring together elements of western and oriental music.  Among his works, many of which have been premiered and performed by different orchestras, are two Symphonies, a Christmas Oratorio, a Tone Poem (choir and orchestra) lamenting the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, a Requiem Mass for the Earth (mixing nature sounds with choir and orchestra), a Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra (performed in India and Sri Lanka),

De Silva is also a lawyer, specializing in environmental law and currently serves as the Head of the Independent Redress Mechanism of the Green Climate Fund (Korea), established by the UNFCCC.  Earlier, he served as a Legal Officer in the UN Compensation Commission in Geneva and as the Director of Environmental Democracy at the World Resources Institute in Washington DC.

one of the very few Sri Lankan orchestral music composers.  He is also a lawyer and an environmentalist currently working in South Korea and Washington DC.

Ref: http://www.lalanathdesilva.com/

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No 46: Sunday August 30th -at 2.00 pm UK "Mahendra in conversation with Prof Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran - Philosophy behind my actions'". 

Sir Arulkumaran was interviewed by Mahendra in a Q&A format. Sir Arul expressed his appreciation and congratulated the SLLS for carrying out such worthwhile activities for over a decade.

YouTube link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSCsC5o2ALY&t=115s

Mahendra  took him through key life events starting from his birth in 1948, his memories of his childhood, schooling and right up to his current status. Sir Arul expressed his gratitude to his parents, his wife Gayanthri and his children.   He summarised the philosophy of his actions as  Respect for Parents, Teachers,  Religion, and the Right way of Life for Profession & Country. He expressed this in another way as The Philosophy of Three essentials (Money, Time and Energy) and Three phases of Life (Young, Middle and Old age) the  guiding principles which chartered his life journey. Among subjects covered were his professional achievements, the various honours he received form many professional organisations of many countries and the honours  he received in the UK (his Knighthood) and in Sri Lanka (The Ranjana award from the President). Other areas covered were his role in improving clinical practice, championing  the right of women to choose safe and appropriate abortion and in International  issues such as PPIUD )Post Partum IUD) and Fistula prevention and management in Ethiopia and other countries.

He spoke of the many ways he has contributed and is continuing to contribute to his land of birth, Sri Lanka. He  endorsed the view expressed by Mahendra that Sri Lankans who chose to live abroad for various reasons can still make a meaningful contribution to their land of birth by "giving back to the society my money, time and energy".

As a Knight, he was entitled to have a coat of arms and he said "my one  represents Nallur, my father’s vocation, rose & jasmine flowers, brought  by Gayatri on the wedding day, my three children and my motto "Sacrifice  and Service”.

He then proceeded to answer searching questions from  the audience. Many were his colleagues and compatriots who spoke very highly of his humanity, fellowship and humility; all features which shone through during the interview.

Mahendra brought proceedings to a close by thanking him and requesting the audience to join him with a round of "unmuted" applause. There were 49 screens and about 80 participants.

Sir Arul has given his consent for publishing this event as a YouTube video and members will be notified when it is available.

About the Speaker:

Sir Arulkumaran is Currently, Professor Emeritus of O& G, St George’s, University of London, Visiting Professor –Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College, London, Foundation Professor of O&G, University of Nicosia. 

Among the plethora of honours in his illustrious career are; Foundation Professor of O&G, St George’s Medical school; Founding Chair, University of Nicosia (2014 onwards); Visiting Professor, Institute of Global Health Policy Innovation, Imperial College, London (2012 onwards);

Former President of FIGO (International Federation of Obstetrics & Gynaecology) – (2012 - 2015); of British Medical Association (June 2013- June 2014; of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) of the UK (2007-2010);

Recipient of DSc from University of London (2013), Colombo (2014) and Lund, Sweden (2014); Recipient of Hon Fellowships from the American, Pakistan, Sri Lankan, Indian, Australian and NZ colleges of O&G, Royal College of midwives UK;  Hon membership of Canadian, German, Spanish, Malaysian and Japanese societies of O&G & National Academy of Sciences, USA 

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No 45: Sunday August 23rd- at 2:00 pm. Dr Leel Gunasekera - "My experience in cultural activity and Sinhala literature, as an author and senior public servant . 

Dr Gunasekera participated over the zoom platform from Sri Lanka.

The meeting commenced with Dr Gunasekera describing his family history, schooling and his university education. The moderators then moved on to his career as a Government Agent ( GA) in various parts of Sri Lanka. Dr Leel Gunasekera described his main role as a GA was to alleviate the problems faced by the ordinary citizen which were very similar wherever he served. The extent to which he engaged to help was revealed by his remark that “their problems eventually became my problems too”.

Dr Gunasekera’s literary contributions were discussed starting with his award winning first fiction “Pethsama” which revolves partly around his work as a GA and partly his imagination. The audience was pleased to learn that this book is being translated to English by Dr Gunasekera. The discussion then moved on to his other literary work including “Athsana”.

Dr Gunasekera came up with many thoughtful quotes including " You are a product of your environment". "always understand the other person's viewpoint"

There were 59 participant screens with over 100 online participants from UK, Sri Lanka, Canada, USA & Australia who engaged in a Q&A session at the end. The audience was left in no doubt that Dr Leel Gunasekera’s abiding ability and enthusiasm to work will continue to inspire many others to lead similar rewarding lives.

About the speaker

Chancellor of the University of Rajarata. A Civil Servant of great repute both national and international, an award winning writer, a veteran literary critic, a professional social service administrator, a great lover of art, music and drama

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No 44: Sunday August 16th,at 2:00 pm :Prof. Sudarshan Seneviratne. Ph.D., FSLCA., FNASSL " "Protection and Conservation of  Traditional knowledge Script and Writing systems".

Mevan Wijetunge acted as host and introduced the speaker. Mahendra thanked Mevan for suggesting Prof Seneviratne  as a good as a presenter. There were 30 screens and about 50 participants.

A  scholarly presentation illustrated with informative slides using  PowerPoint. Report to follow.

About the Speaker

Prof Seneviratne is Emeritus Professor. University of Peradeniya, Consultant Professor. Faculty of Technology. University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Hubert Humphrey Distinguished Professor. USA, and High Commissioner - Designate for Sri Lanka to Bangladesh

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No 43: Ranjan: Health, healing and lifestyle

Sunday, August 9th 2.00 pm

Ranjan delivered a lecture outlining the  basis on which he works as  a healer and health trainer. A composite slide shows just a brief glimpse of wide range of concepts he presented.

A lively discussion followed.

This was one of the best attended Zoom sessions so far with 55 screens and over 70 participants.

Mahendra  thanked Ranjan for his presentation, Devinda for introducing Ranjan and Ruwan for hosting on Zoom.

About the speaker

He works as healer and health trainer. Ranjan was born chronically sick (his mother was lucky to get two consecutive hours' sleep in the first nine months of his life) until, as a teenager at boarding school in Britain, he met a ‘healer’ who taught him to meld bio-medical and Asian science. The outcome was a seemingly miraculous transition to 'chronic wellness' . Brought up on drugs, he now hasn’t taken any medication at all in some 50 years. When his chronological age was 60 his metabolic age measured 45!

Ranjan is also an academic and has been a member of faculty at the School for Independent Study East London, UK. In the US he taught at the School for New Learning, DePaul University, Chicago, and tutored a Master's degree in Music Healing at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass. He has conducted workshops in Australia, Europe, India, Lanka, Pakistan and the United States. His articles have been published in Advances in Body/Mind Medicine (USA) and Noetic Now (USA).

He documents a revolution in knowledge that dwarfs the Copernican Revolution that is thought to have given us science, many of the fundamentals of which were actually plagiarised from Asia! For example, Aryabatha measured the sidereal rotation of the Earth at 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds (today measurement is 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.091 seconds!); only a thousand years before Copernicus .

His book Realising Reality: Reconstructing Education, Health, Politics and Sexuality will be published later this year 

Ref: https://seeknewworlds.com

https://vimeo.com/62141314?fbclid=IwAR0S315SdtWu5WlnTHaLSxGLZMF-1bbODesVWw-6dqjLevhxGv0rftPVmpU 

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No:42. Dr Chandima Amarasena: Leonardo da Vinci. Art, Science and Anatomy

Sunday, August 2nd  at 2.00 pm

Dr Amarasena gave a fascinating and absorbing account of the Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci illustrated  well with a series of beautiful slides including photos of his most famous paintings,  the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper”.  He took us through Leonardo's beginnings as an illegitimate child of a lawyer who did not receive any formal education and leant mathematics relatively late in life. He was introduced to painting and sculpture quite early in life. He was apprenticed to the sculptor and painter Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence and in 1478 became an independent master. He had an amazing eye for detail and from an early stage, showed great skill in detailed drawing. Chandima gave a lot of information on how he went on to become an accomplished painter, sculptor, architect, and engineer. He was immensely curious and had a superb intellect, as well as unusual powers of observation and mastery of the art of drawing. He was dyslexic and wrote left handed. His writing was unusual as he wrote from right to left with the script inverted to a mirror image. His skill extended from art to mechanical devices. He made working models of hydraulic pumps and various mechanical contraptions. He 'invented' the bicycle, airplane, helicopter, and parachute some 500 years ahead of their time.

His interest in Human anatomy was covered in great detail and Chandima showed us a series of his very accurate anatomical drawings. He didn’t get it correct all the time. His early drawings showed two ducts entering the penis, one travelling from the testes, the other travelling direct from the lower part of the spinal cord. But he did correct this mistake in later years. Chandima gave a detailed account of how Leonardo accurately worked out the mechanics of cardiac valves and eddy currents set up by ejected blood from the aorta which prevented regurgitation. He was one of the first to work out the functions of the atria and ventricles. He did many post mortem dissections on humans, at a time when post mortems were difficult and he dissected animals.

The fame of Da Vinci's surviving paintings has meant that he has been regarded primarily as an artist. There are thousands of surviving pages of his notebooks which reveal the most eclectic and brilliant of minds. He wrote and drew on subjects including geology, anatomy (which he studied in order to paint the human form more accurately), flight, gravity and optics. Apparently he often did not complete what he started and impatiently started on another project..

The Mona Lisa painted around 1502 is the most famous and most valuable painting in history. The Last Supper represents the scene of the Last Supper of Jesus with his apostles, as it is told in the Gospel of John. Leonardo has depicted the consternation that occurred among the Twelve Apostles when Jesus announced that one of them would betray him. The painting had some geometrical symmetry in the form of an isosceles triangle between the forehead, and the two arms as well as mathematical grouping of the disciples in threes each with different expressions.

His true genius was not as a scientist or an artist, but as a combination of the two: an 'artist-engineer'. His painting was scientific, based on a deep understanding of the workings of the human body and the physics of light and shade. His science was expressed through art, and his drawings and diagrams show what he meant, and how he understood the world to work. He died of a stroke aged 67.

Chandima answered all questions posed to him with the skill that comes from someone who has studied his subject in depth and gained a true understanding.

There were 38 screens on Zoom and around 68 participants.

About the Speaker.

He obtained his MBBS in January 1985 from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo with First Class honours and Gold medals in Surgery and Operative Surgery

He obtained his Master of Surgery postgraduate degree  in July 1990. He was awarded the Gold medals for best performance in MS Part I and Part II examinations.

After initial training in Cardiac Surgery at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, he went to the UK for 3 years of advanced postgraduate training at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.

He is a Fellow of both the Royal Colleges of Surgeons England and Edinburgh.

On his return to Sri Lanka in 1995, he was board certified in Cardiothoracic Surgery.. He is now the Senior cardiothoracic surgeon at the National Hospital.

He has interests in coronary artery bypass surgery and a special interest in mitral and tricuspid valve repair surgery.

He has a number of publications in local and international journals. and is  a teacher for undergraduate medical students from the Medical Faculties of Colombo and Kelaniya and is also a postgraduate trainer in cardiac surgery.  His extra curricular activities include art, archaeology and wildlife

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No 41: Author Romesh Gunesekera. : Discussion on a selection of his books.

Sunday 26th July at at 2:00 pm.

Romesh was welcomed by Mahendra who thanked him for agreeing to appear on Zoom. Mahendra detailed the most impressive record of his literary achievements.

 His former schoolmate Ajantha, set the ball rolling by taking him through his early life and beginnings as an Author.  He spoke of his early life in Sri Lanka including some recollections of his teachers and schoolmates at Royal, his move to the Philippines with his parents and finally to England in 1971. He stated that he was 40 years old when he published his first book. He never thought of becoming an Author till quite late in his adulthood.

 He spoke of his successes and motivation to write books. He was very keen on how he built his characters and spoke of his passion for philosophical concepts such as memory, time and change, identity and culture which pervade his narratives.

Among the book he discussed in response to questions were: Reef, Sandglass, Noon tide toll, Heaven’s Edge, The Prisoner of Paradise and his latest book, the Suncatcher released this year.

There was a long and interesting discussion on aspects of his writing and how he chose the time periods on which to base his novels. He was an easy and relaxed conversationalist  and his passion was evident.

At the end, Romesh was given an opportunity to question us on the nature of the people of Sri Lankan origin based in the UK. He was particularly interested to understand the reasons and motivations that made them reside here.

We thanked him and gave a generous round of applause at the end.

There were  28 screens and 45 participants

 About Romesh Guneskera

Romesh is a well-known Sri Lankan author. His book “Reef” was shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize in 1994. He has written many books and the best known are, “Reef”, “Monkish Moon” and “Sandglass”. He grew up in Sri Lanka and the Philippines and moved to England in 1971 and now resides in London.

He has won many awards and much sought-after speaker. Please access this link for more about him. Please note how Gunesekera is spelt as it will be important in your searches.

His most recent book  is Suncatcher, now available as hard copy, paperback or audiobook. The one before that (Noontide Toll) was set immediately after the end of the war.

For more information, please visit his official website: www.romeshgunesekera.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romesh_Gunesekera

A selection of Romesh's impressive list of awards

Asian Achievers Award for services to media, arts and culture 2015

 Sri Lanka Ranjana 2005

 BBC Asia Award 1998 for Achievement in Writing & Literature

 Winner Premio Mondello Five Continents Asia Prize 1997 (Reef)

 Finalist Booker Prize 1994 (Reef)

 Finalist Guardian Fiction Prize 1994 (for Reef)

 Finalist Commonwealth Writers' Regional Prize 1993 (for Monkfish Moon)

 Finalist David Higham Prize 1992 (for Monkfish Moon)

 First prize in the Peterloo Open Poetry Competition in 1988

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No: 40. Interview of Musician Deshamanya Rohan de Saram by Ruwan De Soysa and a brief demonstration of Kandyan drumming basics by Rohan.

Sunday July 19th at 2:00 pm

After welcoming Rohan and his wife Rosie, and thanking them for appearing on Zoom, Mahendra handed over to Ruwan to proceed with the interview. Ruwan questioned him about his early childhood and development of his musical career.  Most unfortunately, he had no video camera access and we could only hear him.

Selected highlights.

He was born in Sheffield in 1939 . Father was a lawyer and mother a Teacher. His parents were keen for him to play a musical instrument and the cello was chosen for him by them.  He quickly became proficient  demonstrating his innate talent. They went to Sri lanka when War broke out. He attended St Thomas College. He performed at the Grand Oriental Hotel  in Colombo at the age of 11 in front of an audience which included the GG Lord Soulbury and the PM DS Senanayke 

He then went to Italy and studied cello from the age of 11 with Gaspar Cassado in Italy in Siena and Florence, at the age of 16 he became the first ever winner of the coveted Suggia award to study in the UK with John Barbirolli and in Puerto Rico with Pablo Casals.The award gave him access to Oxford where he studied from 1956-57.

A year later he received a Harriet Cohen International Music Award. In 1960 at the invitation of Dmitri Mitropoulos, Rohan was invited to give his Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Philharmonic, playing Khatchaturian's Cello Concerto under the baton of Stanislaw Skrowaczewski .

His international career began to thrive and in 1972 he moved to London, where he soon began teaching at the Trinity College of Music. In 1977 de Saram joined the Arditti Quartet, remaining a member until 2005. During his Arditti years he maintained a fairly busy schedule of concerts as a soloist and non-quartet chamber player.

After he departed the Arditti Quartet in 2005 he remained active both as a teacher and concert performer. He has regularly given performances at the Darmstadt Summer School; New Music Festival in Ruemlingen, Switzerland; and in major venues across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

During a musical career of almost sixty years as a soloist, chamber musician and member of the Arditti Quartet, he has not only encountered, but also been in direct working contact with almost all of the significant composers during this period.

Besides his musical achievements his thinking extends  to the music of various cultures, performance practices of different periods as well as vivid interests in literary, philosophical and religious questions 

He spoke of Covid times as a consequence of bad leadership at the top. 

He took his first decisive steps towards contemporary music during the 1970s in   in contemporary composition, his work with both contemporary composers of Asian descent and European composers who integrated ideas from the East in their compositions, with his experiences in improvisation and with some general concerns regarding spirituality and music.

He has a long standing interest in Kandyan drumming and gave us a live demonstration of the various exercises in the art of drumming. He alluded to the importance of drumming in the annual Sri Lankan dance festival of Kohomba Kankariya with its deep roots in the legend connected to the curse on Kuveni and Vijaya which did not affect them but did so on King Pandusewana who became seriously ill. The drumming, chanting and ritual dancing is designed to drive away evil spirits. He has an ambition of using the Kandyan drum as a solo instrument with backing by westren music.

His wife Rosie was found to be a third cousin once removed . She was not a musician but loved music. She couldn't imagine a world without music. They spoke fondly of  their daughter Sophia, a doctor (Microbiologist) as well as a passionate musician (cellist) in her spare time, their son Suren, a percussionist and the drummer in the Rock band “Bombay Bicycle Club”.

He answered many questions from the interested audience of about 40 people, including a few from the USA.

Mahendra suggested that he should consider a live performance on Zoom and offered to pilot a project and they promised to give it consideration.

We ended with a round of applause after unmuting!

About the Speaker

Deshamanya Rohan de Saram (born 9 March 1939) is a British-born Sri Lankan cellist. Until his thirties he made his name as a classical artist, but has since become renowned for his involvement in and advocacy of contemporary music. He travels widely and is much in demand for workshops and summer schools in addition to sustaining a schedule of adventurously programmed concerts. If people want to hear Rohan play, there are many CDs of his which can be purchased as can be seen on his website, www.rohandesaram.co.uk.

Rohan de Saram Latest Releases; Requiebros - Works For Cello And Piano “This is amongst the very best recorded recitals of short pieces for cello and piano that I am familiar with, feel sure that all who have a particular love of the cello would take much delight in Requiebros.” “ - Glyn Pursglove, Music Web International, May2020. Listen to excerpts on his website. Also available on YouTube-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx8sY04DJ_w

Members will also find it interesting to read his recently published biography/autobiographical work - "Conversations" by Joachim Steinheuer and Rohan written in English, published in Germany by Wolke Verlag.

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No 39  :  Prof Raveen Hanwella: Life lessons from Photography

Sunday July 12th at 2:00 pm

Mahendra welcomed the speaker and Ruwan introdiced him and hosted the session.This was an entertaining and educative presentation expertly combining the power of imagery (some beautiful photographs and videos) with beneficial psychological approaches to many real life situations. Raveen posed  thirteen what he called “lessons”. They were: looking at yourself, simplicity,  the wider perspective, beauty in common things, balance, reframing,,Viewpoint/unusual perspective, emotions, colours, fantasy, a picture tells a story, black and white:good and evil;meaning of life, leading lines/ values.  To illustrate the power of fantasy unique to human beings,.one beautiful photo was shown  of a man sleeping on a bench creatively edited to show him  in Heaven!  We have the power to transport ourselves to a different world, which is the basis of science fiction and the fantasy world of Walt Disney

Raveen succeeded in his attempt to draw from the principles of photography some psychological lessons for facing more effectively the daily challenges of life. The feedback has been extremely positive although some felt that the video clips between the photographs could have been fewer and shorter. But this did not detract from the enjoyment of the 38 who signed it making an audience of around 70.

Q&A was conducted throughout the session.

Readers are advised to view his presentation on the same subject on YouTube, Ref: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_TzPp8xkRY&t=1041s

About the speaker

He is Consultant Psychiatrist, Head of Department of Psychiatry. Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Executive committee member of The Photographic Society of Sri Lanka (PSSL).

He is a keen photographer as well as the author of many books related to psychiatry and psychotherapy. He obtained postgraduate training in psychotherapy and addictions psychiatry in the Warneford Hospital, Oxford. He has published over 90 scientific papers in national and international journals. Photography has been a hobby of his for many years. He is a member of the Freedom 5 team that has won the Photo-Walk Challenge trophy two years running. He is also a member of the Glamour Photography group. His presentation on The Psychology of Glamour which was well received was   rather unique. It drew from the principles of photography some psychological lessons for facing more effectively the daily challenges of life.

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No 38  :  Author Vimukthi Weeratunga: “Fascinating Wildlife”

Sunday July 5th at 2:00 pm.

 It is really not possible to capture the mood and summarise the wealth of information provided by this passionate speaker. In essence, Vimukthi emphasised the interdependence of humans with nature as indeed we are an integral part of Nature. He illustrated the complex interrelationships that exist among animals and the unbelievable mechanisms developed  by them to adapt and survive over centuries. Among some of the “miracles” he brought to our attention  were the behaviour of sea turtles who migrate hundreds of miles from its feeding ground to its nesting beach, (the adult females return faithfully to nest on the very beach where they were born),  the homing behaviour of migratory birds, the vivid colour changes in adapting to environmental changes by birds and reptiles.

 He encouraged us to think of “connections” whenever we observe nature around us - connections between us and Nature. He stressed on the importance of maintaining eco-systems and protecting endangered species. No animal life can survive without a plant kingdom to provide vital Oxygen and take away the Carbon Dioxide.

 His talk was illustrated with stunning photographs. It was impossible not to be moved by the sheer beauty of the various animals he had captured through his camera. He covered birds, bees, butterflies, amphibians, insects and reptiles. (He agreed to cover mammals in Part 2 which we are organising probably in September this year. He will also talk more about the practical aspects of photography)

I am sure all those who were present today will be energised to re-establish our connections with Nature and our habitats  and appreciate even more the wonders of nature which we so often take for granted.

.Vimukthi then  answered a series of questions from the audience.

Mahendra led a round of applause for Vimukthi at the end and thanked Ruwan for hosting on Zoom. ( There were 40 sign ins, an audience of about 75)

 About the speaker

Vimukthi Weeratunga is  a Wildlife & Fisheries Biologist and professional nature photographer. He graduated with a BSc majoring in Wildlife & Fisheries Biology from the Oregon State University, USA. He has co-authored the newly published coffee table book on Wildlife titled “Living Free” with Chitral Jayatileka.

He is currently working as a Manager of Cinnamon Nature Trails (CNT), which is the nature-based tourism arm of the Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts. He has also been trained in wildlife management diploma at the Wildlife Institute of India.

He was selected for the prestigious Beahrs Environmental Leadership scholar Program (Beahrs ELP) at the University of California – Berkeley in 2014. Beahrs ELP at the University of California, Berkeley is a rigorous, unique learning experience that transforms mid-career environmental professionals into exceptional leaders

Before joining CNT, he worked as the Operations Director of Environmental Foundation Ltd, a leading environmental advocacy organization and as Head of the Biodiversity and Species Program of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Sri Lanka Country Office.

Vimukthi started his career in the Forest Department as a Research Assistant and Photographer for 12 years. He has been in many research projects on amphibians, elephants, birds and forestry, in the department and with outside researchers who have become leaders in their respective fields.

Vimukthi is also a professional nature photographer with perhaps one of Sri Lanka’s best collection of bird images including a few rare highland endemics.

 His credentials as a senior wildlife biologist as well as one of the leading nature photographers in Sri Lanka have enabled him to contribute to many journals, magazines and books published both locally and internationally. His sheer determination to save Sri Lanka’s natural wealth has led him to author a book on the Wilpattu National Park, numerous scientific articles, and deliver numerous lectures throughout the country 

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No 37  :  Dr Shihan De Silva: Portuguese Burghers:  Language, Music and Dance.

Saturday, June 27th at 2:30 pm 

Mahendra welcomed and thanked Shihan and Ruwan introduced her to  the audience, including a short Q&A about herself. She was then requested to make her presentation passing shared screen between her and Ruwan. It worked well as we had a dummy run before. We have found that the "mute all " setting is essential for clear audio transmission. After a wonderful presentation, we had a Q&A session.

The key messages in her presentation can be summed up as:-

Languages can isolate communities.

Music and Dance are powerful communicators of identity.  The Portuguese Burghers have a comparative advantage in music and dance which could be exploited through tourism .

Shared cultural elements reveal entangled  histories of communities.

Links for videos played

(1) Vi minha amor por baila - Sooriya recording of Johan singing -  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5y43oUe10Y 

(2) Portuguese Burgher community dancing Kaffrinha - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvILaBS5zCI&t=33s

(3) Aju Thapara lahila - Ramani Bartholomeuz dancing  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lSWJwcRz_U 

Dr Shihan de Silva Jayasuriya, FRAS (Senior Fellow, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London). Shihan graduated from the University of London with a BSc (Econ) and a Masters in Finance (MSc) and then carried out research on the Indo-Portuguese of Ceylon/Sri Lanka Portuguese for her doctoral dissertation. Indo-Portuguese of Ceylon is the predecessor of English and served as the Island's international lingua franca for most of the colonial era. In this presentation, Shihan explores ways of linking the Portuguese Burghers to lusophone communities globally and also locally to other Sri Lankans.

Shihan is the author of nine books and numerous peer-reviewed articles in international academic journals. Her books, Tagus to Taprobane: Portuguese Impact on the Socioculture of Sri Lanka from 1505AD (Tisara Prakasakayo: Dehiwela) and Portuguese in the East: A Cultural History of a Maritime Trading Empire (I B Tauris: London) are the most relevant to the topic of our discussion.  

Connecting Cultures through language and music: Portuguese Burghers of Sri Lanka

'Connecting Cultures' was the Commonwealth theme for the year 2012. Language is a crucial element in constructing/connecting cultures, and the seminar discussed the provision for learning and teaching of languages whose use transcends national boundaries. Intercultural dimensions of language was foregrounded in the discussions. A key anticipated outcome of the event was the impact on policy at institutional, national or Commonwealth levels with specific reference to internationalisation strategies in the university/tertiary sector.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3YG1jj9mbQ 

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No: 36 Prof. Arjun Guneratne. Coffee Planters and the origins of conservation in colonial Ceylon

Sunday 21nd June at 4.00 pm, using Zoom

Arjun Gunertane is  Professor of Anthropology & Director of Asian Studies, Department of Anthropology, Macalester College, Minnesota . After being welcomed and introduced,   he entertained us with a well-presented and well-articulated talk on the historical aspects of coffee plantations, the economic and social factors that influenced the changes that resulted.  With the use of slides shown using the shared screen facility in zoom, he spoke of his belief that . our knowledge of the natural history of Sri Lanka owes much to the work of British coffee (and later tea) planters. Beginning in the 1840s, the establishment of coffee plantations led to the decimation of the forests of the mountainous interior of the island, transforming both the island’s ecosystem and its economy. These planters as a class, in addition to being agents of environmental change, also played an important role both in developing our knowledge of the island’s fauna and flora and in early conservation movements. Many of them were major naturalists in their own right; others were members of networks that funneled specimens and observational data to students of natural history. Many were attracted to Ceylon as it was seen as a paradise for them to freely indulge in their sport of hunting as there were no rules and regulations for hunting. Hunting was their major recreational activity and collecting natural history specimens followed naturally from it for some. Differences arose between local hunters and visitors as the reason for hunting for each group was different, it certainly wasn't a sport for the locals  but a means of livelihood.. Rules and regulations were brought about not in the spirit of conservation but as means to thwart local hunters..  They lobbied (successfully) for the first game law in 1909 not through remorse for their own role in the destruction of the island's wildlife (the “penitent butchers” argument for the origins of wildlife conservation) but to keep rural Sri Lankans from competing for the same species that British hunters sought and which had been drastically reduced by the depredations of both groups.  Wildlife preservation and the establishment of protected areas in Sri Lanka were indirect benefits.  The typical British hunter came from higher social classes and were well connected. They wielded considerable power and influence. Hunting was a marker of British identity and status in colonial Sri Lanka .  Their ideas about indigenous hunting practices constructed village hunters as the opposite of British sportsmen and informed the activities of the organization they had established to protect their interests, the Ceylon Game and Fauna Protection Society. He argued that their particular way of engaging with nature, through hunting and the pursuit of natural history motivated their desire to preserve what was left of the island’s natural environment. The Wildlife and Nature protection society and the Game protection ordinance were direct outcomes.

The moderator Ruwan then invited the participants to ask questiions and a long and wide ranging discussion took place. He was quite open to declare that he wasn't an expert on areas which although related to Anthropology, were not in his domain. He accepted Mahendra's invitation to appear again at a zoom meeting in the near future. The meeting ended with a round of applause in appreciation. There were 32 participants.

Link on about Prof Guneratne 

https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1059&context=macalestertoday 

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No 35: Prof. Ravindra Fernando: Recollections of a Forensic Pathologist.

Sunday, June 14th at 1.00 pm using Zoom

Ravindra Fernando is a forensic pathologist, toxicologist, physician, author and academic. He is the current chairman of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board of Sri Lanka

 Mahendra welcomed Ravindra and Rasieka introduced him with a brief account of his career as a   forensic pathologist. She also referred to his literary works which includes 12 books and in all about 25 publications. After responding to Rasieka’s question on his choice of forensic pathology  as a career which he said was related to his long standing fascination with toxicology, he agreed to discuss two of his best known books, the Sathasivam murder and the Vicarage murders.  Rasieka gave a synopsis of the Sathasivam case which caused such a sensation in October 1951. Ravindra described the key findings which led to the not guilty verdict on Mr S with a power point presentation using screen share technology. He was then rigorously questioned on facts as well as opinion and he responded very thoughtfully and patiently. He was convinced of Mr Sathasivam’s innocence aqnd of William's guilt based on the evidence produced. Other areas covered were the state of Forensic pathology in the 50s and changes that folowed, legal issues and the array of famous lawyers and experts who were involved  including  Dr Colvin R  De Silva and Sir Sydney Smith who appeared for the defence. Mr Sathasivam’s stature as one of Ceylon’s finest cricketers was alluded to.  He was next asked about the Mathew Pieris vicarage murders and responded to a whole series of questions. He agreed with Lal Gunaskera’s observation that his book was better received than the cinematic version by Chandran Rutnam. There were a few in the audience who were doctors directly or indirectly  involved with the case as Junior doctors at the time. Rasieka and Mahendra thanked him for so kindly and readily agreeing to accept our invitation and said he would be very happy to appear again if requested.   Zoom technology worked extremely well with no major issues. There were 38 participants  and he spent about 2 hrs 30 mts.

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Meeting No 34: Magic and Mentalism with Terry Fernando from Sydney via Zoom.

Date :Saturday 23rd May at 11.00am UK time

Terry Fernando, a professional magician based in Sydney, entertained us in 2012 with a live show while on  holiday in Manchester visiting friends. He offered  to do a show via Zoom and I grabbed the opportunity.  It posed a lot of challenges from a technical point of view but he entertained us for 45 mins with a series of tricks and for good measure, taught us a simple card trick too. He was assisted in his Sydney home by his two grandchildren Daniel and Kaitlyn. There were a lot f card tricks and one in which the randomly chosen card by a zoom audience member was correctly predicted by Terry in a letter he posted to me from Sydney a week before and opened only during the show to reveal his prediction which was absolutely correct! All the participants enjoyed the show. He screened a video of a show he did in Sydney and the photo above is from that.

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Meeting No 33: A discussion with Author Ashok Ferrey.

Date: Sunday the 17th of May at 1.30pm.

He was born in Colombo, raised in East Africa, educated at a Benedictine monastery in the wilds of Sussex and lives in Colombo. He read Pure Maths at Christ Church Oxford and is an Architect Ashok’s first two books, Colpetty People and The Good Little Ceylonese Girl, were each shortlisted for Sri Lanka’s Gratiaen Award and his third, the novel Serendipity, was shortlisted for the State Literary Award of 2009. He currently hosts an arts programme on Sri Lankan national television, The Ashok Ferrey Show, and is a guest lecturer at the Sri Lanka Institute of Architecture. He lives in Colombo with his wife, two kids and his cholesterol.

Ashok started with a short reading from his book, The Ceaseless Chatter of Demons followed by brief introductions of the various books he has written with short readings.  He was always open to questions from the audience, and there were many.

He covered the following areas of interest at appropriate times while discussing the books.

How he became an accidental writer at the tender age of 42!, Aspects of his works such as how he structures his novels, what inspired him to write, how much of what a writer writes is based on his own life. How he writes his books, often  initially in long hand for long ones. How his past experience and memory store influences his novels.How he structures his novels.  The differences between writing a short story and a novel. Why humour and satire are so important to him, The duties of an Author, aspects of the Sri Lankan psyche, the problem of translating his English books into Sinhalese and Tamil. The difficult climate for literary activities with insufficient sponsorship and many others. Some of the books he discussed

The Ceaseless Chatter of Demons

Serendipity

Last Man Standing from The Good Little Ceylonese Girl

Four Weddings and a Dhana, from his book of essays, Cut Pieces

The feedback from literally everybody fortunate enough to was that it was thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring. What better way of spending a Sunday afternoon in Lockdown! His enthusiasm, passion and knowledge were apparent to everybody.

“We're all forced to lead many lives simultaneously. We do it out of necessity, not choice. We don't make a virtue of it.”. Ashok Ferrey, The Good Little Ceylonese Girl

Mahendra, on behalf of the SLLS, thanked him for his appearance and Rasieka and Niro for organising it.

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Meeting No: 32, Held on Sunday 10th May 2020.

Chief guest: Sri Lankan Physician and  author Dr Ajith Amerasinghe.

Moderators: Niroshini Nirmalan & Ruwan De Soysa

He wrote a fascinating article in the Sunday Times (SL), “The deadly epidemic of 1587 which changed the history of Sri Lanka”.

Dr Amarasinghe is a consultant in Paediatrics, Asthma and Immunology and an independent researcher on history. He is a life member of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka. He is not a professional historian but his interests are not limited to treating patients but also to discover the mysteries of history.

The meeting lasted over 2 hours and many aspects of the Portugese occupation of Sri Lanka and reigning Kings of Sri Lanka were discussed. One of the themes that emerged was the close relationship between Tamils and Sinhalese with intermarriage and adoption of Sinhalese names by Tamils and vice versa. The view held by some that ethnic purity is largely imaginary appears to be justified.

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Meeting No: 31 Was held on Sunday the 3rd of May

Moderator: Dr Ruwan De Soysa. Chief Guest: Mr Dharmasiri Bandaranayake.

Topic. Mr Bandaranayake was requested to outline his plans for continuing his work through the TriKoneE foundation and answered questions on problems he is facing in continuing to finance his work.   The Trikone Arts Centre’s mission is to work in the fields of drama and film towards building a harmonious society living in peace and unity.   TAC has collaborated with the traditional and modern drama and dance groups schools and young filmmakers to produce modern creations drawing upon the folk traditions. It has taken theatre, film, theatre education and dance-drama activities into inter-ethnic war-torn areas as well as other rural and remote areas to where people have no access to cultural activities.  The Foundation is now hoping to begin an Educational unit which hopes to teach English and Computing to both Tamil and Sinhalese artistes in Sri Lanka .  Under the mandate of TCF, the classes will be taught to artistes who can then utilise these new skills to further their talent and create more lasting bonds between the two ethnicities.    Development of a special unit is still in preliminary stages and they hope to reach a teaching style that is based on teaching English through computers   The Foundation is struggling to meet the expense of running its office and is seeking ways of funding . We felt that we should help and support Mr Banadranayake to continue to produce films of high calibre. 

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Meeting No 30  was held on Sunday the 19th of April. The Moderator was Dr Ruwan De Soysa. Chief Guest: Prof Rajiva Wijesinha. 

He is an academic, writer in English and a founder member of the SL Liberal Party. He served as the Secretary General for the Peace Process in 2007, Secretary to the ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights and a National List MP for the UPFA in 2010.   He is a very talented writer and has helped to foster the teaching and value of the English language as a medium through which a whole new world is open to the student. He was, as I see it, genuinely inclusive in an  ethnic and religious sense. I also think he is an intellectual and a sharp political analyst. He was the first Sri Lankan writer resident in the county whose works have been translated into a European language. Servi, the Italian translation of Servants which won the Gratiaen Award for 1995, was published by Giovanni Tranchida Editore in Milan in 2002, and this was followed in 2006 by Atti di fede. This last was a translation of Acts of Faith, based on the 1983 government-sponsored riots against Tamils known as Black July, and the first part of a trilogy that included Days of Despair (1989) and The Limits of Love (2005). Politically, he drifted as he really didn't find any of the parties satisfactory   Prof Wijesinha was questioned about his academic and political career. An excellent meeting and some interesting opinions and fascinating insights

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Meeting No: 29 Was held on Sunday the 5th of April. Moderator: Dr Ruwan De

 Soysa. Chief Guest: Mr Dharmasiri Bandaranayake.

Topic. Discussion of his work in the field of Drama and Cinema in Sri Lanka and questions about  his classic film. Mr Bandaranayake joined online from Sri Lanka. We were all impressed by his sincerity, maturity and what I might call precocious awareness of issues which are often swept under the carpet. He was bold enough to gamble and produce the film which is a psychosexual drama with one of the principal characters experiencing violent hallucinations in the form of flashbacks every time he tries to become intimate with his wife. Possible homosexual issues underlying his behaviour were discussed.  The overwhelming view of all those present was that it was most educative and enjoyable. 

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Meeting No: 28. The first zoom  zoom meeting was held on Saturday 4th April 2020.

Topic: Screen Mr Dharmasiri Bandaranayke's film, " Thunweni Yamaya" was shown on Zoom  followed by a short discussion . Dharmasiri Bandaranayake is an award-winning Film and Theatre Director, Actor and Screenplay Writer. In his career spanning 5 decades, he has won numerous international and local awards for his creations. He is the Founder of the Trikone Cultural Foundation, a leading voice in the reconciliation movement. of which he is the CEO.

Meeting No 28-31 have been conducted on line via Zoom with about 15-30 participants each time. The SLLS is determined to continue meetings on-line using the video conferencing tool Zoom