11.4 Gadu Badu

Rebel boats that headed towards the cargo ship to capture Orchard could hardly reach the vessel. The RAF powerboat 1374 circled around the vessel creating a bow wave putting the small boats at risk. The boarding ladder was hauled up. Adaran appeared on the deck of the cargo ship and called to the rebels to go home. They demanded to see Orchard and Adaran said he was a little scared to show up.

Ghaffer shouted back, “If he is scared to talk to the people, we are scared too to have such a leader!” And the shouting went on for a while.

Then the boats arrived at Maradu to target the Atoll Office. Here again the Brits hid Atoll Chief Hazir and the rebels were left to loot and burn the offices. They did lot damage to personal belongings of the staff, destroyed every document they could find. They caused damage to the Atoll Chief’s residence too.

Cpl Ismail and the another posted from the capital, LCpl Wafir and Private Footloose Habib, could only watch the fire burning down the place to rubbles. They did nothing to stop the mob and stayed in the clear.

The doni on which Savari Shakir was in actually didn’t make to Gan. Somewhere close to Maradu, its yard snapped and tore apart. It came pounding on their heads and dangled in air. It was not caused by the wind but fatigue. They rolled the craft into Maradu waters. That exhausted a fury and some wanted to attend dawn prayer. They asked him if he wanted to join. He was then untied so he tucked his shirt under the trousers as he lost all buttons. He washed and followed them to the mosque.

Ali Huzeir noticed him tied on the boat. He could see in the moonlight. He realised it was a rebel doni from Hittadu and Shakir, a representative of the government, was in their custody. He watched them climb ashore and enter the mosque. The prayer commenced and on the first bow in prostration, when all went down on their knees and foreheads touching the floor, Savari Shakir remained standing. He took that chance in the moment no one could see, slipped behind the rows and scattered out of the mosque. He entered some bushes by the mosque wall.

Ali Huzeir approached and said, “You cannot run very far. If you return to Hittadu, they will arrest you. If you stay here, they will find you. If you want to live, come with me to the RAF bunker. Follow me!”

Huzeir secretly took him to the bunker house in north Maaran. There he came across Sergeant Henry Moon.

Ali Huzeir explained that Shakir was a political official representing the government and he was bound on a rebel craft that arrived in Maradu.

Henry Moon chuckled, “Ali, you should rather bother about your own life and your own wife. You go after others’ wives and now trying to save others’ lives. Well, for you, I will keep him here.”

Ali Huzeir grinned. He got married to a young girl very recently and still crawling to Feydu in the middle of the night looking for elder women.

Savari Shakir was ushered to a chamber with the Atoll Chief and some others too.

In the heat of events on New Year Day, Group Captain Newton, the Air Advisor in the High Commission, flew on a Short Sunderland to Addu Atoll arriving late in the afternoon. He came to fetch Orchard. Adaran too was to join him to Colombo.

Adaran made an excuse to go back to Hittadu to pack his clothes for the trip. By the time next morning when the RAF jeep rolled to pick him, men and women blockaded the road from the RAF station and refused to let him pass. This was again planned by Major W W Phyllis who was in continuous talks with the heads of the island.

Eventually, Orchard left on the Sunderland without Adaran. Captain Newton himself piloted the aeroplane and arrived in Colombo at 8:45 in the morning. Chaos settled in the islands once he left.

Major Phyllis called at Adaran’s house promptly. He produced a letter that guarantee asylum for Adaran and his immediate family by the British Government.

“Are you satisfied now!” he asked, “It is time to act. Summon the heads and declare independence.”

Adaran sat for a long moment, his head lowered and thinking. Finally, he agreed, “I will take lead of this enterprise.” It was pressing a heavy burden on his shoulder.

That evening he met the advocates and next day, on 3^rd January, he arrived in Gan with five members to represent the Addu people and declared an independent state free from Malé and wished to come under protection of the British and the British Flag.

This delegation expressed that their discontent was longstanding because of the tax policies and the monopolistic trading regulations, recent taxes and the directive to stop work had merely ignited the people’s anger.

The British submitted to acknowledge the declaration of independence and that to deal on the matter of Island of Gan would be subjected to the authorities of the newly formed independent state. Addu public was called back to work at the base with immediate effect and their wages be paid without interruption.