Politics of a Pandemic: Reason or Racism?

International scrutiny has already been on Sri Lanka with regard to the brazen violation of the rights of a religious minority like the Muslims to have their last rites during funeral according to their faith

“Corpses sour you. They are bad for objectivity” - Bertolt Brecht
War was good for business and great for politics. Now as things have turned out, so is a pandemic. Many prospered financially from war and others entrenched themselves and their kith and kin in the cozy seats of power thanks to the war.

The COVID-19 pandemic too, is good for business, as the rumour goes, with hundreds of hotel rooms being used for quarantining of those who come from abroad and a slice of the income going to some influential persons. It is great for politics also. The Anti Muslim frenzy that helped the present Government in to power is kept alive by the continuation of the ban that was imposed in January last year on burial of dead persons with COVID-19, with Muslims being the ones mostly affected by the decision.  Members of the Buddhist clergy supporting the ruling party make sure that the anti-Muslim sentiment that prevails among a large segment of the majority Sinhala populace serves the Government in detracting the attention of the people from the abysmal failure in all walks of national life. 

GMOA 

The Government Medical Officers Association released a statement to the effect that there was no scientific medical evidence to suggest that the COVID-19 virus could spread through the burial of corpses of patients diagnosed positive for the virus. Previously qualified and renowned experts such as Prof. MalikPieris have expressed the same opinion. Sri Lanka seems to be the only country that has banned burial of bodies for the fear that the virus could spread through burial and that soil and waterways could get contaminated. The World Health Organization guidelines very clearly states that both burial and cremation is permissible, provided the last rites are done under strict compliance of preventive regulations. 

Pro-government media, a private owned television network known for its brazen and shameless violation of all media ethics (in addition to the shady dealings of its owner who is a staunch supporter of the present President) took to task Prof. Jennifer Perera, who was the chairperson of the committee appointed on Christmas eve to provide expert opinion on the safety of burial of persons who decease from the COVID-19 virus. The expert committee consisting of some of the most brilliant and internationally acclaimed medical experts in virology, microbiology and immunology have unequivocally opined, based on scientific evidence, and as we can see, good common sense, that there was no possibility of ‘Corona’, as the virus is commonly known among the people, of spreading through burial.To be precise, the report states that the viruses could not replicate in the body after the death of an infected person and the remaining virus in the body dies over a period of time with the death of a person as there are no more living cells. 

The report further states: “Contamination of water by residual virus in a corpse leading into the water table through layers of soil to reach levels of the infectious dose is very remote as any residual infection virus continues to die. Furthermore, any residual infectious virus that reached the water table gets diluted in the large volume of water. Therefore, the amount of virus in water is insufficient to lead to infection either by ingestion, contact with mucus membranes, or through contaminated hands as the minimal infectious dose of the virus is quite high. For the same reasons, there also has been no evidence of transmission through water contamination from burial by SARS or influenza. However, water contamination could be avoided to a large extent by wrapping the body using virus impervious material such as use of non-biodegradable body bags.”

Credentials!

 It was no sooner the report was leaked on to the public domain, that the pro-government monks went on a rabid rampage on the said TV network, lashshing out at Prof. Jennifer in particular, who submitted the report to the Ministry of Health, questioning her academic credentials and her area of expertise on the question at hand. As to what the credentials of the technical Committee that had been appointed earlier, which had suggested the ban of burial, the Buddhist priests seem to be unaware of. It was common knowledge that none of the members of that committee had any expertise in virology or microbiology. Yet the Government gleefully banned disposal of corpses through burial during the first wave of the COVID-19 virus in Sri Lanka. 

In addition, to berating the Committee of experts and Prof. Perera , some Sinhala extremist groups got in to action on Monday in a protest in front of the Presidential Secretariat, demanding that the ban on burial remain , hell or high water. They vociferously argued that the public health of the populace was of paramount importance and whatever the expert opinion might be, all those who die from the virus should be cremated irrespective of their religious sensitivities or wishes of their families. It is yet to be seen whether the Government heeds the advice of medical experts or a dime a dozen racist chauvinists who are seeking political mileage even in the midst of a raging pandemic. 

International scrutiny 

International scrutiny that had already been on Sri Lanka, with regard to the brazen violation of the rights of a religious minority to have their last rites according to their faith, was refreshed by an interview given to ‘The Hindu’ by MaithripalaSirisena, the former President of Sri Lanka and Chairman of the SLFP, now a main party in the Government coalition. Sirisena should be praised for his candid and commonsensical view where he told ‘The Hindu’ that Muslims should be allowed to bury their dead in line with their religious beliefs while emphasizing that no true development could be attained by hurting the sentiments of a minority. 

The bottom line is clear: if the Government genuinely wants to know what the medical and scientific opinion is with regard to disposal of bodies of patients diagnosed with COVID-19, the truth  is as clear as day light! But that is only if it is persuaded by reason and objectivism. If not, let’s say, they are more keen on keeping those fringe racist and anti-Muslim elements of its support base in tact with a view to safeguarding its power in the face of failure  on all fronts in one year of rule after the election of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, they can continue playing this dangerous game. 

Let’em rot!

Corpses of five deceased Muslims are lying (rotting, rather) in the Morgue of the Basic Hospital of Homagama as the families are refusing to cremate them. They also are not providing coffins to the authorities to cremate their loved once. The corpses are rotting and the staff are fearful of their safety. 
If it is a case of the Government being reluctant to back pedal on its earlier decision to ban burial and to be seen in the public eye as yielding to pressure in allowing it again, then the recommendations of the Expert Committee chaired by Prof. Jennifer Perera might be a face saving exit window to take that difficult decision. 
Yet on the other hand, if it wants to play politics over dead bodies to retain its support base, then, it is an entirely a different story. It is a sour story!!