To forgive and to forget, but about the accountability?

When President Ibrahim Nasir resigned in 1978 for health reasons, he had modernized the isolated islands of Maldives and opened the country to the rest of the world. He started the tourism industry. He is the hero of our independence. Despite the fact that this was a smooth transfer of power, everything that could go wrong went wrong.

Nasir was demonised, caricatures were drawn and the national hero was disgraced and humiliated in a festival of parades shouting abuse on loud speakers. Nasir's ministers like Abdul Hannan Haleem and Moomina Haleem were abused when ever they stepped out of their home. Even their children were not spared the indignity of this barbaric behaviour. This was the biginning of the 30 years of the Gayoom presidency that included Azhar scholars in top positions of our government.

President Nasheed says that in order for us to progress and move forward, we must forgive and forget. These are noble objectives that we can agree to. But what about the case for accountability?

By the time the Gayoom presidency ended, one-third of our youth were addicted to illegal drugs.

Of of all the social problems that our country has, the abuse of illegal drugs by our youth is the most severe problem.

Drug addiction is an illness. The addiction affects the brain. Although initial drug use might be voluntary, once addiction develops, the brain changes interfere with an individual’s ability to make voluntary decisions, leading to compulsive drug craving, seeking and use.

The impact of addiction can be far reaching. Among the deadly diseases, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and lung disease can all be affected by drug abuse. Some of these effects occur when drugs are used at high doses or after prolonged use, however, some may occur after just one use. Heroin, one of the most highly addictive and destructive drugs in the world is the most frequently abused drug in the Maldives, and there are increasing reports of injection drug use.

Maldivian government has criminalised this addiction and the drug addicts are locked up without giving them the necessary treatment. This addiction needs to be addressed as a health issue. Urgent action is needed to provide rehabilitation to the addicts. The Maldivian government has failed to prosecute those who violate the drug laws of the country. According to a report in Haveeru yesterday, a court in Male' ordered to release six individuals who were involved in trafficking drugs because the State has not prosecuted them while they were locked up for six months. This kind of lax attitude will never stop the import of drugs into our country.

This painful addiction would never have reached this stage, if our government had the wherewithal to take serious action to stop the trafficking. It is time for the Maldivian Government to wake up to the reality and help to save our youth.