Chapter 08

8
BLUE WATERS PHILOSOPHY

President Capricorn called Mehdi for an urgent meeting arranged at Aurah Island. Mehdi arrived on a coastguard vessel equipped with machine guns. He was summoned to the billiard foyer. President was enjoying a moment with his family. His face turned pale when he saw Mehdi standing there.

Mehdi greeted the imperial family. One of the President’s daughters told him, “I’m getting started with a new business in tourism and building Hotel Korakeli in the Equator Zone.” She was the youngest.

“I am glad to hear that, Madam Serra,” Mehdi replied.

She said, “It’s located in Fua Mulak.”

“Why so? Why not Addu? In that case you may need some good means of tourist transfers from Gan. I can be of service, with pleasure, if need be.”

“Thanks. Perhaps, for my personal use, I hope to buy a Marko SUV. The problem is Fua Mulak waters. I can’t drive through those savage waves. And there’s no ramp in the harbour for an amphibious to climb.”

“Of course, you must be careful in those waters hitting the island.”

“I will hire a chauffeur.”

Moment later, President Capricorn took him to a secluded area in the brushwood close to the beach. If someone wished to kill him, that machine gun could at best serve its purpose and nobody could separate sand and dust.

“I won the election with clear majority but I am not holding a position in the Parliament,” the President expressed his concern, “I was late to agree with you over bringing down the signatures to a thousand but that’s done, remember. I can only hope these small parties to accommodate member seats independently in the next parliamentary bi-elections. Perhaps, the Matadors don’t grumble now. Many things worry me. You heard about the mosques burnt down in India?”

“It’s consciously wrong for a Maldivian islander to build mosques in India. I know that maybe his right but it’s quite infuriating,” Mehdi said, “Islam speaks of peace and we carry out action that annihilates peace in the society. A Maldivian is one whether he’s Moslem or not among thousands of Hindus and Buddhists. If one desired to invest his money on one race over too many, it destroys harmony in any society. Their societies have known multi-cultures and races…far tolerant. Now why should we destroy such peace?”

“You seem to know Islam more than I do.”

“The President of United States often speaks a lot good Islam.”

“Mr Mehdi, I am worried about your doctrine of Blue Waters. If you read those Indian tabloids and other papers, The Hindu Times, Times of India, debates in Lok Sabha, anywhere, your book is trouble. It’s this ideology that is harming our people in India. Your book incites anger. This book claims Maldives is part of India. An Un-republic Movement calling our people to join hands to unite with India! It is shocking. This is trouble, real big trouble. The nature of diversity on religion and culture is anti-patriotic to the Maldivian cause. Blue Waters is a castaway theory, totally unacceptable. Aren’t you afraid of what you’re doing?”

“Not at the slightest, I’m not, Mr President. It’s a booklet and only an ideology. An ideology to call upon the Indians to accept the islanders as their brothers and an obligation on their part to follow, along with all other parties in India, I am trying to change the minds of the islanders.”

President frowned, “You don’t see any danger going there. You can’t see what’s wrong in the work you did. To tell you the truth, it is this simple idea of yours that’s what’s wrong. MUM is now a political party in this country no matter how small in membership. And you are dealing with a mighty nation without consulting any of them. This is highly political and concerns the international community. Look, I have taken a lot of decision to bring stability in Maldives. I can’t say things are good. We are having a crisis situation. It has gone dirty and perhaps alright for the moment. I can still manage the home front but I cannot stop Indians against our people because of this...and in foreign territory. Listen! When these islands submerge under the water, we hope our people will be moved to New Zealand or Australia or to Alaska in the USA. If you do this, nobody will ever come to rescue.”

“Mr President. There’s no Alaska for us. I wrote it with generous thought. I have consulted important politicians in India.”

“What did they say?”

“Precisely, what I wrote there.”

“Is this their idea then?”

“Not exactly, but it’s my genuine thought.”

“I have been a lecturer from Egypt to Nigeria. I have changed my tone according to time. I know how to change people’s minds. But not this, not multi-culture, multi-races, multi-religion and unite with India. I don’t know who will buy this in the planet.”

“We are a small society with no characteristics as they occur in greater societies around the world, so far we have not even discovered greater societies and civilisation. If we do keep talking about one people and oneness, we are telling our people that we remain like this ‘one people’ and it’s wrong because the truth is we are changing and in multiples. We have Christians and Buddhists among us and that is the truth. Now we can’t talk about one people and oneness. We must talk about tolerance and integration. Now we must understand the greater societies and build our instincts to cope with it and towards tolerance. I do not expect you to inspire the public over tolerance or multi-culture, other races or religions, while we do not have those elements visible among us but we have to ask these questions and raise this debate over multi-culture and races. Let the people go anguish about it now. What we are doing is bringing the society into enlightenment before the true impact of clashing with cultures. For our sake, if we do this now, we avoid bloodshed later.”

“Interesting! Mr Mehdi, what has happened in India is bloodshed because of this ideology.”

“It’s going to create an emotional stir, certainly, but later it works.”

“And you’re not ashamed!” President Capricorn shook his head, “These booklets have gone to the hands of western people and so many others. Arabs enquired. China offered a huge military package and they wanted to have an island for a submarine port. Of course, I am not buying. I know our situation very well but when I appealed to the Government of India for a package, they rejected. I am running short of supplies to oppress this growing nuisance. The Dogs acquired fund from Saudi Arabia to build three mosques in Fua Mulak and Addu. I cannot stop them but I know they are gaining a hell lot of support.”

“I did not know that. Radicalism is worse than terrorism and it is my worst fear. I know your worries, Mr President. I wish you tell the people that you will not stand for the next term election in 2013.”

“No way! I will tell them once again not to put their hands into my pocket. Whether I stand or not, if I tell them now, I’ll have more troubles. These crazies get blood run like alcohol in their nerves. I pushed aside a second election with downright opposition. It’s not easy. And now India is not supporting me. I find a huge loss, walking in a blind alley.”

“India is not supporting you because they are not the right people in the Congress. This government will not stand your course. Maybe they did in the past but the future is entirely different. I have consulted with the right people about these ideas.” Mehdi revealed.

“And?” the President pressed.

“Mr President, I never mentioned this to you. I have opened doors with Blue Waters on how you may start a conversation with any party in the Congress over any crucial issue since all that is covered in my book. What you should talk and what you should not, to make things easy. But what I have not stated in the book are matters I discussed with a handful of Indian politicians and I know they weigh support on us, solely with one party, the Lotus.”

“I pay deep respect to them but none of these governments are easy to talk. They feel like overkill, big in power, mighty. The Lotus is the tricky one. They are running neck and neck this election.”

“We can hope for. Two years ago I had a word with Mr Lotus before he won the chair. He agrees India’s expansion is next to nothing and no turning back, in any field, international policy, military, economy, power and superiority. He’s interested to acquire a military base in the Maldives, as he put it, without hesitation if given for a period of eighty years. They have a huge coast around the Indian Ocean, military arsenal in Andaman and yet interested to take a base in the Maldives, from another sovereign country. Their only base in foreign territory is Farkhor in Tajikistan. Expansion is vital for survival.”

“For all,” said the President, “In my definition of superpower you need to occupy someone else’s land. UK acquires small territories around the world and cry over the keep of an economic zone of the British Indian Ocean Territory illegally held and even to take our right of the part of territorial waters. China keeps a tight fist on Tibet and Taiwan, even claims the Yellow Sea. USA, France, Denmark, Spain, Russia...they are superpowers. Obviously, India would be a superpower if she occupied the Maldives.”

“Is it unholy to mention Israel?”

“In fact, Land of the Holy Grab! Occupiers are superpowers. We are returning to the Dark Age of the colonial era. It’s all about greed, power and money. Who cares about the environment or the future?”

“Nobody and that is why we do not try to save the environment. Stop dreaming about the impossible.” Mehdi continued, “We’ve been survivors for this long. If we allow India to have a military base here for the next hundred years, no matter how these islanders wish to obtain resources from the West or East, no matter how western pressure is exerted on the people for a change, no matter how they try to change their minds...nobody, nobody comes close to the Maldives. Not the USA and if not the US, then nobody. Americans will stay out with that kind of understanding with India.”

“What about China?”

“It’s a different story. China will not be able to help us like India. Nobody will help us like the Indians. Even if India fails to pull its flag in hundred years, the Maldivian islanders will not suffer because politically and geographically we are Indians. It can’t happen with China. Think about any other, UK or USA, or Australia, none of them genuinely can help the islanders and we are all Moslems. Money is not the only thing. We need space to breathe and immediately. We can’t stay alive if we can’t breathe for a second. When disaster strikes and if we have to wait for a process to pass through in the American Congress, we die.”

“Not a single Maldivian or an Indian will agree with that.”

“That’s the reason why you act confidentially without letting the public know or the western world because they certainly will stop this sort of a deal. Just allot an island for India to have a military base for 100 years. Nobody comes close to these islands.”

“Military use is definitely going to ring an alarm in Washington no matter they have a nuclear deal with India. They have a base next door to the islands, Diego Garcia. If not, the wider world, Australia for instance, obviously won’t be sitting down.”

“Certainly won’t. Mr Lotus suggested a military presence could be arranged in concealment with a space station outpost to launch satellites from the equator to reduce fuel cost.”

“That’s it!”

“In that case they would require a part of Fua Mulak and Gan of Suvadiva to manoeuvre the sea-launch platform.”

“Gan of Suvadiva is a big agricultural island!”

“But it produces nothing compared to what we import from India.”

“Ah! I haven’t thought of that.”

“Fua Mulak and Gan of Suvadiva are suitable for space activity. Allow India to have military presence in Maldivian waters to watch their facilities of a space station. And for hundred years not a soul enters these waters. If India never decided to leave…we are part of India.”

“And when we are part of India, Blue Waters is complete. It takes an instant turn in our people who are then called Indians with equal rights in the mainland of India. Our people are then part of a multi-ethnic society of great cricketers and movie stars. And perhaps win a Gold Medal or call it a World Cup held in our soil, not before, not otherwise. We don’t mention Lakshadweep because we believe in the Maldives.” President Capricorn gave a dry look that shot out his eyeballs, “What about our sovereignty?”

“It counts significantly, Mr President. The only right of remaining a sovereign country and you will be remembered a red-labelled seaman for the rest of your life by the islanders here if you endorsed this Concordat to the Government of India with ‘Sovereign Guarantee’ sealed from the Republic of Maldives.”