sequential (k)nots

an open letter to endhimariyambu

(it’s been a long time since we’ve written to each other)

since you embrace the title i christened you with - i was wondering if you had actually read the tweets of critisism re: your article Police or Protester: Still the ordinary man 

pls note that police are granted constitutional and institutional authority over the “ordinary man” and armed with state funded weapons (rubber bullets, pepper spray, batons, high pressure salt water, etc.)

ordinary man = ordinary man

ordinary man in police uniform ≠ ordinary man

⸫ police ≠ protester

anyway incase you missed it (which i’m hoping is the case) below are the tweets by @n3m6 [dated 9th march 2012] in response to your article:

1st she creates a mythical de-politicized figure called an `ordinary` man. Do remember that this is a country where 90% votes

The ideals of this `ordinary` man perfectly aligns with the `Colorless` movement and is plagued by inconsistencies.

Anyway, to use `ordinary` instead of the political name, is an attempt to normalize and hide it in the background.

2nd. Every political party`s raison d’être is - to grab and hold power. She simply dismisses this as being greedy.

There`s a certain truth to the greedy businessman politician. But the protests happening right now goes beyond individuals.

She has also assumed that politics is an empty thing, and there is no emancipatory value to it. Hence, politics is bad.

3rd. On violence, she doesn`t use stats but cites that there have been an increase in violence on the streets.

And she tells us with this is because of MDP. There is fear on the streets, yes, but to what extant is that caused by MDP?

More broadly, she is trying to create a certain mood, fear, associate that w/ MDP and hope we will stop whatever we are doing

Meanwhile, she is playing a double game of condemning both sides, police and protesters, but not really confronting any issues

She doesn`t want to look beyond what is immediate [a protest) and look at what caused it. I think that will be enough for now

i write this post with the hope that we could engage in an objective discussion re: the current shituation in maldives. it is extremely dangerous to make assumptions and come to conclusions without hind & fore sight.

at the same time experiencing the coup unfold from the ground in male’/maldives is very different from the (second hand) picture/account of events you’d get living abroad.

your blog shows genuine concern for the place you grew up in; my concern is that your words are being used as a tool in the hands of those that havent the people’s interests at heart. 

my (current) interpretation of the current situation can be condensed as:

bruteforce+money vs the people

which can also be viewed as a class struggle of sorts and the tynrany of the technocrats only worsens the situation in favour of the ruling elite.

thus the “lets all be more civilised and educated” stance cannot be sustained here (unfortunately) at the current time, though very valid and applicable in highly developed & nordic countries.

a military dictatorship is an obstuction to human development on all levels. i’m sure i dont need to tell you this. 

mdp came to power after elections. they had conducted extensive door to door campaigns, listened to the people’s sentiments and developed a manifesto in order to address/manifest public needs/wants for the public.  meanwhile, the coup leaders haven’t the faintest clue about public sentiment as everyone knows the majority of the population voted to oust an aging dictator. it wasnt about drp, mdp and other insignificant acronyms.

essentially it is a war of certain ideas/philosophies the flames of which which cant be extinguished by brute force, batons or even human deaths. history proves this point time and again and so does maldivian history. 

once again i emphasize objective discussion because in your latest post Colourless or colourful, don’t let it blind you! once again you’ve ignored the real critism (? excuse me if you really did miss the tweets) and decided to resort to and address the issue of petty name-calling, slander and allegations so prevalent in the political environment here by choosing to erect my calling you “high priestess of colourless mentality”.

colorless = voiceless, thoughtless, clueless which i’m sure you’re not.

lets leave that job to zaeem worshippers and kula yellow since a majority of the population cleatly enjoy that charade :)

you’re right this society aspires to be democratic, and it’s been a long battle of many years (which extends way beyond 2003). and the little gains we’ve made along the way are being constantly wiped out every day we continue to be ruled by a military dictarship that came into power after a coup; which proved to be very bloody the very next day.

currently an election is the only way to restore/regain whatever little we had of the people’s voice in the running of public affairs.

PS. we know each other personally and its been a long time since i’ve written to you. there are countless words(accusations) we could hurl at each other if we were to sink to the level of name calling and other personal attacks. 

love,

A