Maheswaran’s remains cremated in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 January 2008, 18:58 GMT]
United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians took over the casket containing Maheswaran’s remains from his family Thursday around 2:30 p.m. at his residence in Wellawatte and the cortege, and the funeral procession went along Galle Road and several areas in Colombo to reach Kanaththai cremation grounds in Borella. Homage was paid to the Tamil parliamentarian, who was assassinated while worshiping in Colombo Ponnampala Vaa'neasvarar temple on New Year Day, before the body was cremated.

Parliamentarians representing various political parties, members of Movement Against War, Free Media Movement, Working Journalists’ Association, Tamil Journalists' Association and religious leaders representing Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian faiths besides hundreds of mourners walked the six kilometer trek from Wellawatte via Galle Road, W.A. de Silva Mawathe, Halevel Road, Kirilapone junction and Elvitigala Mawathe, reaching Borella around 5:30 p.m.

Members of the Movement Against War with black cloth covering their mouths and UNP parliamentarians wearing black bands around their necks shouted slogans slamming Sri Lanka government while members of other organizations carried portraits of Maheswaran walked along in the cortege up to the cremation grounds.

Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims participated in the procession and some of them shouted slogans accusing Mahinda Rajapaksa regime and Douglas Devananda, the leader of the EPDP and a cabinet minister in Rajapaksa for the killing of Maheswaran.

The cortege passed through Wellawatte, Bampalappitiya and Kirilappane areas where shops and other business establishments were closed paying respect to the slain leader.

White flags were put up in Fort, Pettah (Peaddai) and Five Lamps junction areas where a general shut down was observed from Thursday morning.

Leader of the opposition and head of UNP, Ranil Wickremasinghe, Minister Fowzi, Western Province Peoples’ Front leader and parliamentarian Mano Ganesan, Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian for Jaffna district Sri Kantha, Muslim Congress Leader Rauf Hakeem, Sunanda Dheshapiriya, spokesman of the Free Media Movement and many prominent persons paid tribute to Maheswaran before his remains were cremated.

Maheswaran’s son set fire to his father’s remains around 7:30 p.m.

The police and Sri Lanka Army jointly provided security during the funeral procession.

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