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Indigenous Medicine Industry State Minister Sisira Jayakody said new laws would be introduced to regularise ayurvedic spas.

Ayurvedic spas have mushroomed throughout the country and a significant number are fronts for brothels. They only need to register with the local authority and are not subjected to supervision. Many spas do not register with the Tourism Board either, even though they are required to do so.  

The number of untrained ayurvedic therapists who are working in spas has also caused serious concern.

As such,the Ayurveda Department has now introduced a new four-month fee paying course leading to a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 4 certification for those who are interested in becoming ayurvedic therapists.

The course is also open to those who are now working as ayurvedic therapists.

About 25 therapists are currently enrolled in this course and a new batch will be recruited as soon as they graduate, Minister Jayakody said.

He also said approval had been given to several private institutions registered under the Ayurveda Act to register with the Department and
train therapists.

He pointed out that proper training will go a long way in helping to turn out qualified ayurvedic therapists, given the high demand for
such therapists both locally and internationally.

Stunned PM orders immediate payment to Samurdhi volunteers

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has intervened to ensure thousands of volunteers who conducted an island-wide survey on the country’s social welfare situation are paid the allowance that was promised to them.

While attending a progress review meeting in Kurunegala for a programme conducted by the Public Administration Ministry, the PM was informed by both Government and Opposition politicians that the volunteers, all students who had passed the GCE Advanced Level Exams, had thus far not been paid the allowance that was promised to them.

The representatives pointed out this reflected badly on not just the Government but the country as a whole, given that the island-wide survey to identify low income people and provide welfare allowances for the increased number had been conducted on the request of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). A stunned PM immediately asked State Minister Ashoka Priyantha, to call to the Chairman of the Welfare Benefits Board and give the phone to him. Once the phone was handed to the PM, he issued explicit instructions to the Chairman to take immediate steps to pay the allowances the volunteers were owed.

About 2500 books for Jaffna Prisons’ new library

To promote reading among prisoners, the Jaffna University has come up with a programme to have a modernised library at the Jaffna Prisons.

Well wishers and sponsors have donated as many as 2500 books for the programme which began yesterday.

The programme was launched after finding out that prisoners after their time allocated for work had free time, which they could use for reading.  Some books have come as donations from overseas through the university.

Other prisons already have libraries, but the new library at the Jaffna Prisons has a wide selection covering subjects such as religion and sports.

Sinhala film at Cannes Film Festival focuses on university life, love, student politics and protests

The Sinhala movie “Saho” (Comrade), screened its premiere on Thursday.

The movie is directed by Ariyarathna Athugala and had been selected to the second round of Festival de Cannes, the famous film festival held in France annually, before being released to theatres in Sri Lanka.

The movie focuses on university life and concerns love, sexuality, socioeconomic pressure, student politics and student protests.

The movie comes out at a time where the Anti-Terrorism Bill is a major topic within the country and the Opposition is claiming it will give sweeping powers to the Government to arrest protesters.

However, the movie’s producer is Transport, Highways and Media Minister Bandula Gunawardena, who is a Cabinet Minister of the very government that wants to implement the Anti-Terrorism Bill.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena participated at the movie’s premiere in Colombo
on Thursday.

Public officials defy President’s orders on foreign trips

Last month, the President’s office issued a circular that public officials should minimise foreign trips and they should stop using business class airfare.

But it appears that some of them have been smarter, and found private sponsors for their overseas trips. At least two senior government officials have now been identified for taking foreign trips with the help of private sponsors.
One of them has returned from Thailand, while the other is due to travel to the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and another country for a vacation.

The board at Hyde Park ground, before and after. Pix by Akila Jayawardana

The Colombo Municipal Council has promptly
reacted to correct a mistake on the board of a public play ground.

A fortnight ago (March 26), these columns pointed out the mistake in the board of the Philip Gunawardena play ground at Hyde Park in Colombo 02.

A few days later the CMC corrected the mistake.

After Cafe exposure, CMC acts fast to correct mistake on board

The Colombo Municipal Council has promptly reacted to correct a mistake on the board of a public play ground.

A fortnight ago (March 26), these columns pointed out the mistake in the board of the Philip Gunawardena play ground at Hyde Park in Colombo 02.  A few days later the CMC corrected the mistake.

Hygienic problem at hospital; dogs blamed for child’s behaviour

At a hospital down south, the minor staff were facing issues of maintaining cleanliness in the corridors.  The cleaners were constantly mopping the corridors near a children’s ward as infants, toddlers and children under the age of five or six were taking medication in the ward.

Even though good washrooms were provided at the ward there was one mother who would urge her three or four year old daughter to use the corridor to relieve herself claiming that her child would not urinate in the washroom.

The cleaners without knowing that the child was urinating in the corridor were blaming a dog and were repeatedly mopping the floor, but once they left, the mother would get her daughter to use the corridor. In the end, the cleaners ended up chasing all the dogs away from the vicinity.

Legendary actor Christian Bale gives boost to Sri Lanka

There was much excitement among movie-lovers in Sri Lanka this week after it emerged that Academy Award winning actor Christian Bale was in Sri Lanka.

It was the national carrier SriLankan Airlines that first alerted the country about the British actor’s presence in Sri Lanka. The airline’s official Twitter account put out a tweet on Tuesday with a photo of the actor posing with the cabin crew of flight UL 115.

“We are thrilled to welcome aboard the legendary actor, Christian Bale on UL 115 of April 3, 2023. It was our absolute pleasure to have presented him a memorable Sri Lankan experience on his journey. We anticipate welcoming him again soon!” the tweet said.

Soon, photographs emerged of Bale wandering around the historic Galle Fort with his son Joseph. The iconic actor had his breakthrough role at 13 in legendary director Steven Spielberg’s 1987 war movie “Empire of the Sun.” He went on to gain acclaim for other roles including that of serial killer Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho” and
as superhero Batman in director Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy.

In the Batman series, a central figure is the crazy ‘Joker’ whose bizarre fascination with Batman, the Caped Crusader has even said that it seems like the ‘Joker’ is in love with him.

He won an Academy Award for his portrayal of boxer Dicky Eklund in the 2010 biographical film “The Fighter” and continues to remain one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars.

Actor Bale is not the only big Hollywood name who has shown love for Sri Lanka in recent times. During a Q & A session with fans last month, Canadian actor and “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds reminisced fondly about the time he spent in Sri Lanka particularly in Hikkaduwa while filming his first movie “Ordinary Magic” in 1993.

Someone sarcastically retweeted the SriLankan Airlines tweet asking if
the superhero Batman had come to Sri Lanka in search of the “Joker.”