Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) senior member, President’s Counsel Faiszer Musthapha has urged President Ranil Wickremesinghe to appoint a Commission of Inquiry to probe the adoption of the policy of forced cremations during the tenure of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

In a letter to President Wickremesinghe last week in response to the recent formal apology tendered by the Government to persons affected by the compulsory cremation of deceased persons during the Covid pandemic, the former Minister had noted that such a commission should be empowered to, inter alia, identify persons in the public and private sector as well as political persons who were instrumental in the adoption of such a policy.

He had also strongly recommended the granting of compensation and other relief to affected persons, in order to address in some measure the continuing trauma and anguish suffered by aggrieved persons.

“In retrospect, I am of the view that the said policy was deeply rooted in racial prejudice, during a period in which our country required unbiased political leadership,” Musthapha had added.

Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan documentary film titled ‘Oddamavadi’ by creative director Aman Ashraff was released in local theatres on Friday (2). 

The documentary film narrates the untold story of the Sri Lankan Muslim community’s struggle during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It highlights the community’s ordeal with forced cremations of loved ones who succumbed to the coronavirus.

Taking to X, director Ashraff has announced that the movie will be screened in local theatres, such as Scope and PVR, while tickets are available for booking online.