"Allow Raviraj's casket to be taken through A9," family requests SL President

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 November 2006, 10:14 GMT]
Assassinated Jaffna District TNA parliamentarian's widowed wife Sasikala Raviraj, Saturday morning when Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mr. Mangala Samaraweera visited the parlour, made an appeal to open the A9 Muhamalai exit-entry point in order to take her husband's remains to his hometown Chavakachcheri for cremation. The funeral is scheduled to be held on Wednesday in Chavakachcheri in Jaffna. Hundreds of mourners from all ethnic communities, political leaders, religious dignitaries and social activists gathered in Colombo to pay their last respects to the assassinated Jaffna district Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj.



The slain MP's last will was his remains should be cremated at his home town, family memebers told TamilNet.

Mr. Samaraweera has told her that he will convey the message to President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Until Saturday evening there was no positive response from the Government of Sri Lanka.

Tamil National Alliance MP Mavai Senathirajah has also appealed to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to allow Raviraj's coffin to be taken to Jaffna through the A-9 highway.



SL Minister of Housing and Construction Ms. Ferial Ashraff, Governor of the Western Province Alawi Maulana, Opposition UNP leaders Karu Jayasuriya and Milinda Moragoda also paid their last respects to the slain Tamil parliamentarian.

Assassinated TNA Parliamentarian Mr. Nadarajah Raviraj's casket was taken from his residence in Manning Town to the A.F.Raymonds Funeral Parlour in Borella at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

School children from the slain MP's daughter's school, Bishops College, where her mother also teaches, also gathered at the funeral parlour to pay their last respects.



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