{"id":101413,"date":"2020-04-22T02:50:38","date_gmt":"2020-04-22T09:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=101413"},"modified":"2020-04-22T02:57:52","modified_gmt":"2020-04-22T09:57:52","slug":"community-opportunism-unfair-media-hype-on-cremation-of-covid-19-dead-in-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/04\/22\/community-opportunism-unfair-media-hype-on-cremation-of-covid-19-dead-in-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"Community Opportunism: unfair media hype on cremation of covid-19 dead in Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A\npandemic engulfs the globe with deaths nearing 200,000 and millions of\nconfirmed cases documented. So far no one, not even the World Health\nOrganization can firmly say what caused the virus, how the virus is spreading\nor what the cure for the virus is. Everyone is simply experimenting and making\ncautionary statements that often contradict previous statements made. There is\nno single golden rule and there is no universal solution or cure to address\ncovid-19 and each country are on their own experimenting and rolling out best\npractices that have worked for them. In such a scenario, Sri Lanka opted to\ntake the worst-case scenario to determine how it would expose covid-19 dead. It\nwas not a decision based in favor of any community or against any community.\nSadly, those that played the community-grievance card both locally &\ninternationally has done great injustice to the Nation, the Government and to\nthe Rest of the People of Sri Lanka. The damage as a result has resulted in Sri\nLanka\u2019s covid-19 success stories getting drowned in media releases claiming Sri\nLanka is now targeting the Muslim minority. This damage caused by irresponsible\n& opportunistic individuals of one community is difficult to undo and will be\nforever unfairly flagged against Sri Lanka in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Countries\nthat boasted of superior health care systems, technology & equipment have found\nthemselves in a precarious situation where hospitals cannot deal with the\ninflux of patients, lack of health insurance deny hospitalization or medical attention,\nhospitals are without ventilators, face masks and other surgical equipment, confounding\nthe situation, people are refusing to listen to their governments and fatalities\namong doctors and nurses are increasing further burdening the situation. The\nWest accounts for close to 100,000 covid-19 deaths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nWHO has been regularly issuing statements and guidelines which have been\nchanging with each day some even contradicting original statements. But people\nhave not made issue realizing that WHO too are also trying to deal with the\nsituation. WHO guidelines issued to countries were meant to be benchmarks for\ncountries to follow and around which they could devise their own decisions. Nowhere\ndoes WHO say it is mandatory to follow to the word what WHO gives as\nguidelines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri\nLanka too like all other countries naturally did not realize the magnitude of\nthe danger of covid-19 and so initial decisions naturally had to be changed\nwith time. It was in such a scenario considering that Sri Lanka too could see a\nrise in deaths that the decision to cremate all covid-19 dead was taken. It was\na decision that was taken considering the nature of covid-19 dead un-embalmed\ndecomposed fluids contaminating the ground water\/soil and affecting the lives\nof the living. It was a decision that all others for a moment did not think was\nan affront to the dead or something declared against their community except for\none community whose opportunistic leaders and wannabe politicians thought\nopportune to use as a form of bargaining tool to rouse their community against\nthe government and show their might internationally, given the power of their\n1.8billion number! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nwas hurtful to the other communities who though realizing the opportunism in\nthe demands did not wish to add to the government\u2019s worries by making demands\nthemselves on behalf of their communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\nus all realize that close to 200,000 people have died all over the world. They\nall belong to families who care for them and who feel for them and who are sad\nthat their loved ones have suddenly died to an unknown virus. Many of the dead\nwere as young as 13 some as old as 80. But whatever the age, they were people\nwho are no less important. Inspite of WHO guidelines for the dead there is no\ncountry that is following 100% what the WHO has recommended. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even\nin countries where a community is the majority diverse practices are being\nfollowed and applied. Though ritual practice mandates the dead to be buried in\n24hours some of the countries where this community is in the majority have kept\nbodies in the morgue for over 2 weeks, some villagers are refusing to allow\ntheir town cemetery to be used to bury covid-19 dead, some governments are not\neven allowing washing or dressing the body or even taking the dead body to the\nhome or place of religious worship. So none of the countries where this\ncommunity is in the majority are practicing to the word any of the rituals they\npractice. Most of these countries are even hiding covid-19 deaths by not\ndisclosing the cause of death. In so duplicitously burying covid-19 dead in\ntown cemeteries only time will show the damage to these towns and those\ninnocents who may contract the virus when rains and other natural disasters\noccur. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How\nfair was it to only project globally the notion that one particular community\nwas purposely being denied their funeral ritual? This is hurtful to the other\ncommunities who have also lost their loved ones and who have had to sacrifice\nfuneral rituals to their dead by putting the interest of the living before\ntheir dead family member. These families must no doubt be saddened that they\ncould not give their dead family member a fitting farewell but they have come\nto terms that their actions have been in the best interest of the Country and\nthe living. Why is it difficult for this community to think this way? Or rather\nwhy do leaders of this community always think that they can play the community\ncard and get their way? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nSri Lanka we saw 7 deaths. 3 out of the 7 were of the same community while 2\ndeaths were Buddhist and 2 deaths were Catholic. Catholics generally bury their\ndead. Catholics believe soul lives after death depending on the righteous life\nled (Heave, Hell or Purgatory) Funerals are generally held in Church, led by a\nPriest who delivers sermon, there is a funeral mass, procession, sprinkling of\nHoly Water, songs & prayer, readings from Bible, there is a dress code, Priest\nofficially commits the body to the earth and traditionally Catholic funerals\nare not held on Sundays. None of these rituals could be performed on the 2\ncovid-19 dead but no one from that community complained or commenced an international\nmedia campaign against Sri Lanka. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2\nBuddhists died of covid-19. For Buddhists death is a transition from one life\nto the next on a journey to Nirvana. Death is a reminder of impermanence of life.\nThe body is brought home, family & friends visit to pay homage. Cremation\nor burial is a personal choice. On the day of the funeral Buddhist theros\narrive and are offered Pansakula (robes)\/mataka vastra Pooja (offering cloth on\nbehalf of the deceased), merit is transferred (Idam me natinam hotu) followed\nby anumodana (thanksgiving) then there is the pouring the water of dedication.\nThe Pansakula rite has been followed since Buddha\u2019s time and is an integral\npart of a Buddhist funeral. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

None\nof these rituals coming down from over 2500 years could be performed on the 2\ncovid-19 dead victims but Buddhists did not complain or carry out an international\ncampaign against the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine\nhow these families would have felt if the Government gave in to the demands of\none community totally disregarding the rituals of the other communities that\nthey compromised because it was a necessity! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However,\nsince January, deaths have occurred of all communities and apart from the 7\ncovid-19 dead, all of the families have either cremated or buried their dead\nfollowing all rituals. Nevertheless, with curfew and lockdowns and requirement\nfor social distancing even ordinary rituals have had to be amended to suit the\nsituation. As such an ordinary funeral has meant that it is not possible for\npeople to travel to the funeral home to pay last respects \u2013 it is only the\nimmediate family who have had to run through the funeral rituals among themselves.\nSo everyone has had to adjust their lives. But the notion presented to the\nwhole world is that Sri Lanka is purposely targeting one community \u2013 which is\ntotally wrong and totally unfair by the other communities who are accepting the\ndecisions of the Government and not trying to make things difficult for the\ngovernment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relevant\nto this discussion is the example from India. India has a central government\nand state governments. The Centre issues a general circular to all State\nGovernments and the State Governments in turn issue directives based on what\nthey deem is appropriate for the state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mumbai\nis the capital of Maharashtra State which has a population of 114.2million.\n13million are Muslims. Capital Mumbai has 2.5million Muslims. Maharashtra State\nhas 4669 covid-19 cases with 251 deaths. As of 20th<\/sup> April Mumbai has\n2,798 confirmed cases and 131 deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The\nMumbai Corporation of Greater Mumbai issued a circular on 30 March 2020\ndeclaring that covid-19 dead bodies were to be cremated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All\nthe dead bodies of Covis-19 patients should be cremated at the nearest crematorium\nirrespective of religion\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nalso cites the penal code for action to be taken against anyone going against\norder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The\nother letter attached is one sent by the Municipal Corporation of Greater\nMumbai to the Trustees of a Muslim cemetery while reminding of the circular of\nthe State, clearly states that the Trustees must take full responsibility for\nspread of virus to neighborhood. The MCGM also informing Trustees of complaints\nreceived regarding covid-19 bodies from other neighborhoods being brought to\nsite and informs that they shall not accept any such covid-19 dead bodies for burial\noutside of their neighborhood and reminds the Trustees of the penal code action\nto be applied if circular is flouted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How\ncome these circulars which were applicable to 13million Muslims from the\nMaharashtra state did not result in the uproar that Sri Lanka witnessed? How\ncome the level of lobbying that continues to take place even now does not take\nplace in India? How come the international media are not drawing attention to\nthese State circulars? Sri Lanka has only had 3 covid-19 dead from the Muslim\ncommunity but the notion projected to the world is that all Muslims are being\ncremated. A version that is false and fabricated and for which the Muslim\ncommunity in particular the notorious set of politicians and some wannabe\nfuture Parliamentarians are responsible. It is natural that when facts are\nbrought forward their immediate reaction is to subtly re-divert attention speaking\nabout cooperating and supporting the government while beneath the surface\nlobbying and other tactics are pursued. They should not think the general\npublic is ignorant to these chameleon tactics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At\nthis juncture, it is true that some unfortunate people have perished from\ncovid-19 and whatever race or religion they belong to, all of them could not\nget the farewell they deserve but that situation is relevant for all of the\ndeceased and not just one community and this is what this particular community\nneeds to accept and realize. It is not that they don\u2019t it is just that their\nleaders want to always fish in troubled waters trying to gain some publicity\nfor themselves. We have seen in the countries where the strictest forms of\nreligion is practiced the natives of these villagers would not even allow a\ndead covid-19 corpse to be brought to their village for burial not even when\nthe victim was a doctor who treated them because they realized that the chances\nof the entire village, the children and elders getting it was far too important\nto ignore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Covid-19\nis teaching the people many lessons \u2013 let this be one, not to think of one\u2019s\ncommunity only. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shenali D Waduge<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A pandemic engulfs the globe with deaths nearing 200,000 and millions of confirmed cases documented. So far no one, not even the World Health Organization can firmly say what caused the virus, how the virus is spreading or what the cure for the virus is. Everyone is simply experimenting and making cautionary statements that often […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1498,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101413\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}