Former Convicts, now Heads

Maldivians wanted a change and most of them voted for a change. Maldives elected a new Leader to bring changes he promised. With the oath of new leader, the Maldivians began experiencing changes they never thought of. Some people I know never thought of. Things are happening so fast that some people have difficulty in digesting it. First it was appointing the secretaries and under secretaries which is equivalent to the deputy Ministers and Executive Director level approximately. Most of my friends thought this is cool as most of them are young and capable. That was fair enough. The young capable appointees were none other than the volunteers who contribute a lot for the change.
Shocking news was that recently President has appointed Mr. Abdulla Shahid as Minister of State for Defence, who was one of the masterminds behind the terrorist attack to Maldives on November 3, 1988 which took at least 19 innocent lives. Is this a change we looking for? Now do not tell me that he was fighting against Maumoon regime. And he was a national hero who ended Maumoon’s torture. There was news that he was forced to take alcohol and was drunk when perpetrators got his help to draw the map and got intelligence information about the NSS Headquarters being an active soldier. Does this show his innocence? The important thing is that he was convicted and imprisoned for life when later years he was pardoned. How will he have any national interest and determination when once he joined a troop to capture Maldives and hindered its harmony. This is an insult to the warriors who lost their lives and the live who fought to save their nation.

There is also a rumor that convicted drug dealer who was imprisoned for life was declared void by Maldivian High Court. He was a journalist and activist when he was sentenced. But the people who know him better have said that he is a drug dealer and the case was genuine. I will not be surprise when he was given a high level post saying that he was framed as he was against previous government.

No wonder the people who left Maldives when it needed their services most are now joining the politics and running for the parliament election hence, that they get a high pay while they ruin the life of the island peoples. I also wonder why decentralisation of Atolls are been given so much important while the atoll councils are to be formed according to our new constitution.
I think this is too early to comment on anything. I really want to hold for May 2011.

Separatist Movement in Havaru Thinadhoo

Havaru Thinadhoo, presently known as G.DH Thinadhoo was once depopulated and dispersed and later again on 22 August 1966 it was rebuilt with 440 households of not more than 2500 inhabitants. According to the historians of Maldives the people of Thinadhoo were involved in the formation of separate nation called United Suvadive Republic ( 3 January 1959 to 23 September 1963) jointly with Addu and Fuvamulah, three southernmost Atolls of Maldives and Huvadhoo Ocean separating them from the rest of Maldives.
According to the historians the separatist movement started soon after British started their decolonizing the South Asia namely India and Sri Lanka. Due to lack of proper communication and scheduled shipping line there was no communication between the Centre and the distant atolls of Maldives The islanders of these atolls were deprived from essential items like food, clothing and most importantly there was no medicines for epidemic s. This isolation leads the South Atolls to establish direct trade link with Ceylon and South of India. The islanders had their own sail boats and were self sufficient without the help of the Centre of the Maldives. The historians agree that the south of Maldives was wealthier than that of Male’ due to its direct trade links with the foreign traders. This self sufficiency was affected when India and Sri Lanka got its independence and South traders need to get a travel document which was issued in Male’. This caused many sailors and the businessmen to suffer again. Frustration together with the isolation caused Southern warriors to go against government and form new nation thinking that with the help of British they will be able to sail across the ocean to their destinations without showing document. The people of South with their open heart trusted English people who were supervising the work of the Gan airport, without knowing that their Government had seized the ships of South people. This caused the south people to suffer in starvation. Many people and children died due to the starvation. Then the Prime Minister used the opportunity and called for surrender. The hunger and the anger made the people not to surrender in fact they fought even though they do not own any weapons. Some historians say that they are the people with pride and arrogance.
When I read some articles about Havaru Thinadhoo Baqavai i was amazed by the courage of the people. They not only fought for their rights but also fought to protect their properties and family. Their properties were destroyed in 1962 when the Prime Minister captured the island and forced islanders to leave the Island. The prisoners were taken to Male’ in Maldives Star and were imprisoned for life where many prisoners died due to torture and disease. The rest of people were dispersed to other neighbouring islands where most of them had to sell the belongings they left with to get a handful of rice. This is not worse than that of the situation in Darfur. The people of Thinadhoo lost their properties; families had to find separate way, lost their pride, the pregnant women lived with no husband to support. The once capital of the atoll was looted. Havaru Thinadhoo was resettled on the 22nd August 1966. The name was changed from Havaru Thinadhoo to Thinadhoo on 27th June 1979.
I wonder when the eminent people will be willing to tell the truths, wonder why suddenly they started talking about decentralisation and the way of connecting all the islands. The centre should not be biased. We all are Maldivians and we share same history, culture and Tradition. Maldives not only need to restructure the government it also need to have better and proper shipping line as well as costal security system