By Yohan Perera   

Government should come up with a mechanism to ensure that funeral rites of the Sri Lankan people of all religions including the rights of the Buddhists to perform the rite of offering ‘Pansakula’, an Opposition MP said yesterday.   

SJB MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha said the issue today was that Sri Lanka’s failure to come up with a mechanism to ensure that funeral traditions of people belonging to all religions when they succumbed to COVID- 19 pandemic.  “Family members of Buddhists who succumb to COVID- 19 are saddened as they are unable to perform the tradition of ‘Pansakula’ just like the Muslims who are not allowed to cremate the dead,” the MP said.  MP Bandara came out with this remark in relation to the media reports which said that the Maldives  was ready to allow the Sri Lankan Muslims who succumbed to COVID- 19, to bury their dead in that country.  Meanwhile former Minister Mangala Samaraweera also said that Government should allow the people of all religions in Sri Lanka to perform their traditions when performing the last rites of those who die of COVID- 19. “Cremation is not an issue but government should allow funeral traditions to be performed by people belonging to different traditions,” he said.   

Mr. Samaraweera noted that WHO had stated that burying those who succumbed to COVID- 19  was not a health hazard. 

• Meanwhile former Minister Mangala Samaraweera also said that Government  should allow the people of all religions in Sri Lanka to perform their  traditions when performing the last rites of those who die of COVID- 19.