Ithuru Vaahaka
Episode 7: History, identity and coconut palms with Naajih Didi
What do cemeteries and coconut palms have to do with Maldivian identity? Historian Naajih Didi joins us to explain.
18 Jul, 3:11 PM
In this episode of Ithuru Vaahaka, we sit down with Naajih Didi, writer, researcher and local historian, to talk about the erasure of tangible Maldivian history. From the destruction of Male’s ward cemeteries to the strange replacement of local coconut palms with imported date palms, we trace how state decisions about space and aesthetics have long-lasting impacts on culture and identity. Naajih walks us through the historical context and why these changes aren’t just cosmetic , they shape how Maldivians see themselves and their past.
0:40 - Why should we be bothered by the destruction of Male' ward cemeteries?
2:18 - "Breathing space"
3:15 - Memories and remains of the earlier generations
4:40 - "Cemeteries are endowed lands and cannot be violated"
5:20 - Perishability of bones
6:15 - What about the Fatwa?
8:35 - Why did the government wait to intervene and issue a fatwa after the destruction of Maafannu cemetery was complete?
9:20 - "We have no problem with date palms"
11:10 - Ibn Battuta's accounts of Maldives and her relationship with coconut palms
13:45 - Native species
15:05 - Leave the place alone!
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