On golden jubilee of independence, Addu is silent
The people of Addu say their development took a U-turn since the British left in 1976. Successive governments have neglected Addu, turning it into a provincial backwater.
26 Jul 2015, 9:00 AM
On Thursday, celebrations of the Maldives’ Golden Jubilee of independence from the British kicked off in the capital with fireworks. Millions of rufiyaa were spent on decking every street, every tree, and every government building in red, green, and white lights. Public parks have been renovated. Monuments have been erected. But here, in the southernmost Addu City, where the British presence was most felt, there are no signs of celebrations.
“This is not Independent 50 for us. It’s Ruinous 50. Since the English left, we have been sidelined and neglected,” Ahmed Shamaal, 29, told me.
His words reflect a sentiment largely shared by both the young and old in Addu, one I’ve heard frequently since I arrived here on Thursday. Under the British, Addu had been a centre of commerce with the air base at Gan and the British-established regional hospital. The people of Addu feel their development took a U-turn since the British left. Successive governments have since neglected Addu, turning it into a provincial backwater.
In stark contrast to the capital, only five buildings in Addu City are decorated with lights. The opposition-dominated city council has erected a few hundred national flags on the main causeway linking the interconnected islands of Addu atoll. The flags were leftovers from the SAARC summit of 2011.
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