Tribute To Families

 

 

 

My paternal grandmother, my firstborn in her lap and my mother next to me, four generations captured in one photo! The two elder ladies are with us only in our sweet memories of them.  Grandma lived an amazingly healthy life and passed away at the age of 90 or 91.  My sisters and I grew up under her wings in Male’ while my mother was with father in the atolls. Dad was an island chief and later the atoll chief, closest thing to an Atoll Chief is the Governors abroad, though our chiefs then had little autonomy.

My grandmother born just before the First World War could read and write our language and could easily read Arabic as the educated folk of her days. When I was studying abroad my colleagues from African countries would make all sorts of noises and faces in utter astonishment when I tell them that I have received a letter from my grandma! “Your GRAND MUZZER can write? My MUZZER cannot even write” they would say in sheer amazement!

If I were asked about one singular factor I am proud about our culture, without any hesitation, my answer would be the literacy rate of our women. Perhaps we are the only nation in South Asia where the literacy rate of women is higher than that of men.

Thanks to our first president for opening the first formal school for young girls and for the third president for starting a nationwide campaign to eradicate literacy in Maldives. Though we did not achieve the phenomenal success of the state of Kerala in South India, we also achieved a very high success rate.

The important thing is to carry on enjoying this gift given to us by our parents or our visionary statesmen and go on reading. It is said that Benjamin Franklin said “The person who deserves most pity is a lonesome one on a rainy day who doesn’t know how to read”

Thank You!

Tribute To A Proud People

When I shot the above picture about six months ago, I only saw the beautiful sunset and named it “Sunset Over Giraavaru Island”. I never thought I would be writing about how the sun set on the proud people of Giraavaru! It is a strange world and events take unpredictable turns and bends.

According to traditional lore we heard when we were young; the Giraavaru people were the ancient owners and rulers of the Maldives. It is said that a South Indian Prince along with his entourage asked for permission from the Giraavaru people, to settle on the neighbouring island of Male.

According to what I read Giraavaru island was not this tiny in her prime days. Gira, literally means eroding and varu is perhaps from faru meaning reef. It is said that the island had large houses and spacious temples in those days. Since the lagoon is still vast it is highly possible that changing weather patterns gradually eroded the main part of the island.

The Giraavaru people are the indigenous people of the Maldives. They are the earliest island community whose presence predates Buddhism in Maldives. Their ancestors were ancient Tamil people from present day Kerala. Their former status was rather like the palm-tree tapping lower ( raaveri) castes of Kerala. While the rest of the Maldives allowed multiple marriages, the Giraavaru people were said to be very strictly monogamous. Also while we tolerated divorcing these earliest of our settlers did not permit divorce.

In the Sixties, the people of Giraavaru were allocated in Hulhulhe for a few years and later once again resettled in the West coast of Male. Has the quality of life been better to them after their settlement in Male’? It is not for us to answer this difficult question. Leaders of many developing countries have asserted that their indigenous peoples deserve the modern amenities enjoyed by the rest. Some NGOs say that in doing so, the governments are interfering with their lives! The debate will go on! Sadly, the sun has set on the ancient lifestyles of our very earliest settlers!

Thank You!