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| By Amin Didi
With
sadness I recalled the glee and joy expressed by many Maldivians
when the shuttle blew up on re-entry the last time. I remember the
elation with which many Maldive people claimed that Allah
was punishing the AmericansSpace and space travel
has always fascinated me. The rocket and the moon has a special
charm for me. In my childhood I listened when my father tuned into
the Voice of America and BBC broadcasts. And in 1969 it happened.
The Apollo 11 launched from the Kennedy Space Center and on July
20, 1969, the Eagle landed. Commander Neil Armstrong became the
first man on the moon. Soon it came closer to me. I went with my
friends from school to the National Museum in Sultan Park to see
the moon rock. It was a small piece of black rock in a glass cage.
There was nothing special in its appearance. But for me the dreams
and ingenuity of humankind were embedded in that little rock. As
the years flew by I continued to follow my fascination in the only
way I could. I read books by Asimov and Arthur C, Clarke. I listened
to radio reports. When TV arrived things became more interesting.
Now we had visual. Today I am waiting, in front of the TV again
to watch another launch. The launch and re-entry has always been
an emotional moment for me. The shuttle was returning to flight.
Two years after the disaster, NASA was launching again. With sadness
I recalled the glee and joy expressed by many Maldivians when the
shuttle blew up on re-entry the last time. I remember the elation
with which many Maldive people claimed that Allah was punishing
the Americans. My grandmother and many in her generation did not
believe that man could go to the moon. But I was studying physics
and chemistry and biology and I did not doubt that Neil Armstrong
walked the moon. Today there is a new skepticism in young people.
The love of science is now being replaced by a blind faith in the
muttering of mullahs like Ahmed Deedat. It is as if the flight path
has been re-routed and we are now in a new orbit.
And we hear of a defence agreement with India, our northern neighbour. Nobody seems to know the real story. It is a secret, only whispered with embarrassment. With the Protectorate, we were defended by the British. Today we are defended by India. And most Maldivians believe that India is taking us to lunch and dinner and it will not be long before they take us to the cleaners. If we have just switched from the British to the Indians, I do not believe that we gained anything from having the Independence to decide our own foreign policy. What we lost is probably more important. The association with the British gave us much more than we care to recognize now. The British gave us our Parliament. The Maldive Constitution was drafted and imposed on the people by the British. Although in the years after Independence we have managed to warp and destroy these important institutions, I believe that they were the result of our association with Great Britain. Education in the English medium has been the cornerstone of our development. The General Certificate of Education from the London University allowed our students to study all over the world. We have to recognize that our association with the British was good for the people. We did not have colonists raping our land and our women. Independence from Britain and its institutions has only given absolute power to those who rule us. And this has proved to be both painful and costly. The countdown has begun and I have to go watch the launch of Discovery.
26 July 2005 |
As
I wait for the launch, ten thousand miles away, Independence Day
in Maldives is coming to an end. I am relying on cyberspace for
my information and the news from Male’ is that there are no
big celebrations. What happened? 
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