SJB welcomes govt. decision to allow burials of coronavirus victims

By Anuradha Hiripitiyage

The Samagi Jana Balavegaya appreciates the government’s decision to allow the burial of those who died of coronavirus, SJB National Organiser, Tissa Attanayake told The Island yesterday. Attanayake said that it was unfortunate that the government had to wait this long to make the decision.

“SJB always insisted that there was no need to keep on cremating bodies without any scientific evidence. Maybe initially the government, like everyone else, was figuring things out but a few months later it became obvious that allowing burials would be okay. Unfortunately, the government dragged the issue for almost a year, doing a lot of damage to everyone,” Attanayake said.

The insistence that only cremations should be allowed, polarized communities, he said. If these developments cause any inter religious issue, the government must be held responsible. “You can’t blame people, if Sinhalese or Muslims get angry. The government created this issue. Not only did the government create a domestic issue, they also inconvenienced the country internationally,” the SJB MP said.

Attanayake said that the government had to wait until the UNHRC session in Geneva approached to allow burials to take place. “This is too obvious but we can’t still say what the insistence on cremations and the sudden reversal has done to the psyche of Sri Lankans.”