There was a huge argument in burying the Covid related deaths in
the county. The government had taken a decision not to bury Covid related
deaths saying that there is a possibility to spread virus through water. The government
said that the decision was taken following the direction of technical committee
which was appointed by the government to give an advice to the government on
this issue. In the meanwhile the government was saying the inability to bury
Covid related deaths, WHO declared their decision highlighting that there is no
possibility to spread the virus through water but the government did not change
their decision.
The decision of the government not to allow burying the Covid
related deaths directly made an impact to Muslim nation. According to the belief
of the Muslim community, they are not allowed to burn the death bodies. That is
a religious teaching of the Muslim community. Although there was no huge intervention
of Catholic community, they also have a same tradition according to their
religion teaching. Especially Muslim
leaders, politicians, religious leaders and other related groups showed their objection
for the decision of the government in public. Different people, groups and
expertise held different attitudes regarding this matter. Although the Viral
expertise came to the front line and very clearly mentioned the inability to
spread the virus through water, the government did not change their decision.
Finally the government had to take a decision to allow to bury the
Covid related deaths because of the various influence in locally and internationally.
The government selected some locations to bury Covid related deaths. Iranathive
Island in the Killinochchi district is one of the places that government
selected to bury the Covid related deaths. This decision has created a potential
to build a tense situation between the Muslim and Tamil community because Tamil
people have occupied in the Island of Iranathive.
According to this situation, Killinochchi District Fisheries
Solidarity organized a protest with the collaboration of other civil societies in
Iranamatha Nagar on 3 of March 2021. The
civil society representatives, community leaders, citizens, religion leaders,
civil servants and representatives of Jaffna District Fisheries Solidarity
participated in the protest. The campaigners requested not to use their Island
to bury the death bodies as well as they demanded the government to revise the
decision of burying the Covid related deaths in the Island.
