A Look Into The Past (Addu City)

What is "Addu"?

 Addu, is the southern most island of the Maldives. Whilst having the second biggest land area in the country, the inhabitants of this atoll speak a Maldivian dialect called "Addu bahuruva" ( pronunciation: addoo ba hu ru vah) . This atoll had given part of its land to the RAF, as part of the protectorate agreement the English had offered. Before they left, the English bought a piece of land from Addu for themselves forever. This piece of land can be seen today. Now, Addu is one of the main cities of Maldives, and is continuing to strive to success.

The Period of English Occupation

The operation to build this base started in the August of 1941, by the Royal Navy construction crews, on the thick jungle which is now known as Gan International Airport in Feydhoo. In 1957, this operation was turned on over the Royal Air Force (RAF). Though it had a relatively small runway, it could land all aircraft in the British inventory. 

Due to staff shortages, the base hired Addu inhabitants and paid them accordingly. Due the overreliance on the locals, the local currency of the atoll became pounds instead of rufiyaa (MVR). Some staff were paid sometimes 5000 pounds a week and even more. All this meant the lifestyle of the Addu people drastically changed from being poor, to being able to drink using glasses and eat with porcelain plates, a luxury that was only for the heads of state at the time.

As time passed, the base became a urban area for locals as well. There were convenience stores, restaurants, courts for badminton, tennis, football pitches and more. The existence of the first surgical operation theater and fully functioning medical centers that were available  to the locals only, meant people from the capital came and faked being Addu inhabitants to visit the doctor, and the health hazard from the native inhabitants themselves to the British were the same as the British to the inhabitants.

The British left the base in 1975, leaving almost everything except the aircraft and military vehicles. All the instruments and other goods were left to the custody of the government, who later sold most of the assets to foreign countries.

Availability to modern services, made Addu people, as well as the neighboring islands feel the need to establish their own government. This created the SUVADIVE movement, led by Ahmed Afif Didi.

The people of the rebellion believed that the government was not doing enough for the country, as the development was slow. Moreover, the oppressiveness of the regime with Ibrahim Nasir, our second president, made the idea more pleasing to the southern atolls, who were quite rich due to the trading routes they had with Sri Lanka and India, and by having fleets of hundreds of ships (Aarmaadu),

The president of Maldives at that time (Ibrahim Nasir), had not taken the news, that the SUVADIVE movement declared independence in January 1959, lightly. After 3 years of waiting and threatening, president Nasir decided to use force to stop the rebellion, killing some inhabitants in the process. As the movement had three atolls, Huvadhoo (closest to the capital), Fuvamulah and Addu, he (Nasir) planned to go finish each island off one by one. The first island he stopped his dhoani's (long passenger boats) were at Huvadhoo, and below is a legend of how people say the first moments went on (folklore):

The news of the army that was docked at the atoll, spread like wildfire. the young and old men went out, armed with Latiburi's (a very strong type of pole), to confront the unwelcome president. Ibrahim Nasir, or commonly known as Velaanaage Nasir, came armed with guns, believing it necessary to use the countries' valuable stock of bullets against a rebellion. As both sides met, the men from the island saw the guns and didn't recognized them as so, and they assumed, just like themselves, the army brought fancy poles/sticks as well. The rifles and muskets of the army seemed like rods that had metal spikes to the islanders. This being the situation, the president called onto them:

Surrender! we are armed with guns, and you are with measly sticks! make your decision wisely!

The islanders cried out:

We are armed as well, we are greater in number, and so are our weapons!

The president, after realizing they wouldn't understand unless its shown that guns aren't sticks, shot at the air. The islanders exclaimed:

That was just sound! [to scare us]     (!ތީ ވައި ބަޑި)

Then the president shot at the sea water and a nearby coconut palm tree, but still got replied in the same fashion as the first time. At last, as he lost his patience, he shot a nearby islander, who was just an onlooker, point blank. As soon as he fell on the ground, and as his soul left his body, the people realized, this was real. Then they ran. Some jumped into the sea. Some died of fear. But president Nasir didn't stop until he reached Addu territory, and since he was not allowed through by the English, he stopped his escapade and left. The leader of the rebellion, with his family, was transported by the British to Seychelles. Finally, the rebellion fell, and Addu, Huvadhoo and Fuvamulak became part of the Maldives again.

(THIS STORY IS NOT BE TAKEN AS HISTORICAL EVIDENCE, AS IT DOES NOT REPRESENT THE TRUE INCIDENTS THAT OCCUERED, AND IS ONLY A FOLK STORY TOLD BY THE PEOPLE AND HAS CHANGED VARIATIONS DUE TO THE EXCHANGE OF THE STORY FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION BY WORD, AND THIS VERSION, IS NOT AT ALL A MOCKERY OF THE GOVERNMENT IN ANY PERIOD OF THE MALDIVIAN HISTORY. NO TRUE VERSION OF THESE INCIDENTS ARE CLEARLY KNOWN.)

After his (Afif Didi) death in 1993, his wife still visits Addu, occasionally, to meet family and friends, and she has outlived many of them, including a friend from Maradhoo, Naseera Moosa, an eye witness of the ceremony held before the departure of Ahmed Afif Didi even though she was quite young, and an inspirational woman and a great social contributor, who also got many requests from the government in her prime, to manage the functions held in Addu (before).

    

The Modern Outlook Of Addu 

The City of Addu, is the second most populous atoll in the Maldives, with an ongoing economy and a relatively successful political platform. The current mayor of Addu is Ali Nizaar (2018 - ), under the ruling party MDP. Many people believe, it is only if the future generations plan and hold hopes for Addu, can their great lineage go on. 

-Yoosuf (BM)