Parishioner says two tombstones he erected in church cemetery dislodged and discarded

by Harischandra Gunaratna

Tony Clement Trevor Perera, who ran a flourishing business selling chandeliers in Sweden and Poland, returned to Sri Lanka as his mother was ailing.

A longstanding resident of Bolawalana and a parishioner of the Church of Our Lady of Purification, he looked after his mother and was devastated when she died later.

Around the time of All Souls Day in November last year, he decided to erect two granite tombstones at the gravesites of his parents, Cecil Perera and Anne Laura Perera, and his sister Maureen Perera at the church cemetery.

“The gravestones were put up with the permission of the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Ananda Withana”, he asserted.

Perera said that a few days later, he was shocked to find the two tombstones uprooted and discarded by some persons during the curfew imposed in the area following the Covid-19 outbreak.

“I believe that this was done by the church cemetery committee”, he noted.

As even the dead were not allowed to rest in peace, he said that he lodged a complaint with the Negombo police on the incident, which caused him immense pain of mind.

Thereafter, the HQI Negombo, Chief Inspector Frederick Wootler summoned all the parties concerned, including the Parish Priest for an inquiry. As two persons were identified, the HQI assured that action will be initiated against the suspects, Perera claimed.

When The Sunday Island contacted HQI Wootler, he replied, “I cannot recall the particular incident as there are more than 20 complaints per day. Ask the complainant to meet me in my office”.

“I later transported the dislodged tombstones from the church graveyard to my home on the advice of the HQI, who cautioned that further damage could be caused to them if left unattended in the cemetery”, Perera said.

He complained that though almost three months have lapsed, the police have still failed to initiate action against those responsible for dislodging the gravestones.

However, when The Sunday Island contacted Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Withana, he said the tombstones had been erected without his permission.

“It was done arbitrarily”, he claimed.

The Parish Priest further said a decision was taken by the church cemetery committee not to permit the erection of tombstones after 2017.

Refuting this claim, Perera said that several tombstones had been erected in the church cemetery after 2017, and insisted that he obtained the priest’s prior permission to put up the tombstones in memory of his late parents and sister.

“How can two such heavy objects be erected without the knowledge of the priest or any other person in the church?”, he asked.

After transporting the gravestones home, Perera and his wife Ayomi erected them in their garden.

“This was the first time that I heard of tombstones erected in a church cemetery being uprooted and thrown away”, he said.

Perera further said that he has also written to the IGP about the police inaction on his complaint to the Negombo HQI.