The bodies of a mother and son from Jaffna, who were killed in an attack by the Indian Army in 1987, were cremated on the 24th after 38 years of religious observances.
Following their deaths, the grieving husband was not allowed to perform any rites except digging a hole in the middle of his house and burying the bodies at the same spot due to the military presence in the area.
He complied and immediately fled to India. Later, he sought asylum in a European country.
After returning to Jaffna a few months ago, he filed a petition with the Jaffna court seeking permission to exhume the remains of his wife and child and perform their cremation according to religious customs.
Following the court order, the police submitted a detailed report on the incident. With the court’s permission, the bodies were exhumed and cremated.
The husband stated that at the time, he had no other option but to bury them in the house. However, the pain of leaving his loved ones buried there was unbearable. He added that his relatives also wished to perform proper religious rites and the funeral.
Therefore, he sought the court’s help and finally fulfilled everyone’s expectations by conducting the cremation after 38 years.
