COLOMBO: Former Sri Lankan minister and practicing lawyer Faiszer Mustapha urged President Ranil Wickremesinghe to appoint a Committee of Inquiry to inquire into the adoption of the policy of forced cremation which had caused immense pain in the hearts of the affected parties. “ Such a Commission should be empowered to inter-alia, identify persons in the public and private sector as well and suitable action be taken against all those who were responsible in implementing this racist policy which was against all norms of a society,”Mustapha said.
The former minister stressed that such an action is needed to prevent the country from such vindictive actions in the future against a section of the community.
The full text of the letter written to the president by Mustapha “ I refer to the recent formal apology tendered by the Government of Sri Lanka to persons affected by the compulsory cremation of deceased persons, as a matter of policy, in total disregard of the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization and practices adopted worldwide with regard to the burials in line with Islamic rites.
Whilst applauding the gesture of the Government in tendering such an apology and the commitment to enact legislation to guaranteeing the right to choose burial or cremation of deceased persons. I wish to bring to Your Excellency’s notice that a mere apology does not sufficiently address the trauma and grief caused to the families who had to suffer, due to the compulsory cremation of their loved ones. I would urge that a Commission of Inquiry be appointed to inquire into the adoption of the policy of forced cremation. Such a Commission should be empowered to inter-alia, identify persons in the public and private sector as well political personages who were instrumental in the adoption of such a policy. Furthermore, in order to address in some measure, the continuing trauma and anguish suffered by aggrieved persons I would also strongly recommend the grant of compensation and other relief to affected persons.
In this context, the trauma of persons professing the Islamic faith merits particular mention as cremation is abhorrent to our religious beliefs. Ofcourse this heinous policy affected not only Muslims but persons of all faiths as well
Your Excellency, would no doubt appreciate that the adoption of such measures would contribute to reconciliation and the restoration of amity amongst all communities.”
