It was the time of Dawn late 1988, a time when men are usually home after prayers and women are at the beach cleaning their pots. The usual Koel bird harmonies were out-sung by the loud series of gunfire, a sound Maldivians were unfamiliar with. Many believed it was firework practice for the upcoming Republic Day on November 11th, however, it was not soon until the people realized the horror that lurked on the streets of Male’.

November 3rd 1988, people went door to door waking one-another asking for information. All they knew was the dead bodies that lay bled out on the Northern streets of Henveiru district. While the power was out and the phone lines were down, the only mode of information was the radio. Mothers tugging onto their children staring tirelessly at the locked doors tuned in to a BBC Radio Broadcast that informed that the Maldives was under-attack by the Sri Lankan Terrorist Group – People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam. That moment, every Maldivian soul fell to their deepest horror reliving haunting stories of the Portuguese and the Malabari terrorists from centuries ago.

The once peaceful city remained a war-zone as gun-fire orchestrated non-stop, closing into the city. The heaviest attacks were at the Main Defence Bunker, Bandaara Koshi where strong soldiers on-duty fought until their last bullet including the youngest martyr, Shaheed Hussain Adam who was the first person to engage with the armed terrorists and fought until his last breath to protect the sovereignty of the nation. He was one of the eight military personnel who was killed with an additional eleven civilians. The attack was completely controlled as the Indian Army swarmed in the Maldives around early noon. They ended the armed attack over Male’ City and stopped the escaping cargo ‘MV Progress Light’ that carried 27 hostages. The Indian Army infiltrated the entire terrorist operation, that was lead by Abdulla Luthufee, a Maldivian traitor who tried to overthrow the government through this coup.

Upon this failure to take over the island paradise once again, Maldivians stand proud and grateful for their victory and their liberation of peace in the nation. However, the names and the brutal memory of the recent events are still embedded in the hearts of the Maldivians. Celebrating November 3rd, the Victory Day as a tribute to the nineteen lives lost, the many injured, the many who fought tirelessly and the Indians who aided us.

“Let peace reign over this Holy land, the land to which I was born, the land of Dhivehin”

Happy 30th Anniversary of Victory Day.