Two days back, we celebrated the republic
day of our country.
Well, we had 2 phases of this. One when
President Mohamed Amin Didi became the first and the only president of the
first republic and second when President Ibrahim Nasir became the first
president of the second republic.
It maybe a bit late, yet let me wish you
all greetings, on the occasion of our Republic Day.
As we celebrate a republic day, surely that
will be one day in life of a nation, that the citizens seriously thinks about
their nation.
What went right and what
didn’t go so well? Well, let me share three major things I feel we have achieved.
1-
After 10
long years, I heard that now the government is ready to say “DONE”. Yes done
with giving shelter to the 2004 tsunami victims. I really believe it was a big
mistake that we failed to give shelter to our brothers and sisters for one
whole decade. Well, as a nation, we did everything else, so there is no excuse
to leave some children of this nation as refugees for ten long years. Fine. Now
that it is over, that surely is a good achievement. Thank you Presidents: Mr. Maumoon, Mr. Nasheed, Mr. Waheed and Mr.
Yameen.
2-
For me,
2012 February will be marked as the second darkest day. Sure 3rd Nov
1988 was the worst day the 2nd republic ever had. I am glad that the
nation after long struggles within, against all odds reached a peaceful day.
Now that there is a stable elected government, that peace is there within me a
son of the nation. This was a good achievement.
3-
Unlimited
health insurance is another milestone that we have achieved. Thank You
President Yameen and his team for reforming Aasandha to make it a near full
fledged insurance coverage. Let me not forget the famous 65+ senior citizen
allowance too. These were achievements that we have made in our nation. I just hope it goes in a sustainable and
economically sound manner.
These are 3 major achievements we have reached
in 2014. It might have started a year or even a decade back. Yet, it was this
year that showed us the completion.
Where there is good, there will also be the
other side of the story.
As a nation, we still have failed to deal
with the 3 major cases. Three things we need to end, or we may end up in a worst
place than we now are.
1-
Drugs and
gangs. Drug surely has been the biggest issue the youth has faced. It is this
drug that has led to gangs. If we do not want to see the gang fights and
murders, we must stop drug getting through our doors. I hear about sniffer dogs, I hear about high
security systems at the entrances to country. Yet I am yet to see the issue of
drugs getting lower.
2-
Equality
and freedom are two axis in life of humans for which so many wars were
fought. We in Maldives still lack the equality.
People complain that in Maldives it is very easy to take some to justice whereas
even you go to hell and back still you see some never faces justice. The huge disparity in pay for the people is
another big issues that may lead to loss of peace and harmony among people. It
will be wrong and crazy to think that just because you have power, people will
be afraid to speak out. Don’t forget this is 21st century. I don’t know where
and how it will begin. But I am pretty sure that we must address this issue
soon before things goes out of hand.
3-
Just few
days back I read an article on haveeru daily. The worst nightmare it was for
me. The estimated number of Maldivians fighting in the civil war in Iraq and
Syria estimated to reach 100. Mr President!! This is an alarming sign of what
this nation may come across tomorrow. The government and the Maldives National
Defence Force needs to stop the spread of extremist thinking in the county. We
so far failed in this as a nation. At least speak out to say what was done to
stop it. People are worried of this development.
These are things that comes to my mind as
we celebrates our republic day. End of the day, it is my nation too.