Hoarafushi Saleem’s historical romance novel “Maliku Beefaanu” -- an inspiring account of Maldives and Minicoy’s special relationship

This may be historical fiction at its best. For readers who like to find out about the culture and traditions of ancient Minicoy and Maldives, then this is a good book for you.

I found the struggles of Ibrahim and Beefaanu to keep their romance intact very impressive at a time when Maldivians and people of Minicoy crossed the ocean between the two “countries” in sail boats, sometimes resulting in being cast away from their designated course of travel.

Set in the years before 1529 AD, the story revolves around Beefaanu whose family from Maldives’ northernmost island Thuraakunu settles in Minicoy, leading to her childhood sweetheart Ibrahim from Maldives enter into a rather difficult long-distance love relationship during the era when India did not require permission from Maldivians in directly travelling to Minicoy.

The story is engaging and Saleem’s prose flows smoothly, perhaps because of his long time involvement in journalism. He was a reporter for 14 years at Maldives’ most popular newspaper back then, “Haveeru”.

He was educated in the field of Mass Communication in India. He is also the recipient of two accolades from Maldives -- a national award of encouragement, and the “Golden Pen” award celebrating his long term service to Maldives’ “fourth estate”.

Saleem has other books to his credit -- the historical romance fiction book titled “Dhiyo”, “Kushu ge adhabu”, “Huras neylhunu loabi”, and “Raiy Buraasfathi”, the latter a book which covers the 3 November 1988 attempted coup which killed 19 Maldivians, including civilians and members of security forces.

In a foreword, famed Maldivian author Madulu Mohamed Waheed says that reading “Maliku Beefaanu” was a “spiritual” experience for him resulting in the arising of tragic emotions.

Saleem has dedicated this book to his sister, the late Aminath Saleem, whom, he says enabled a conducive atmosphere to his practice of writing.

He writes that he had engaged in not only researching Maldives and Minicoy’s history, but also interviewing many intellectuals and historians from both Maldives and Minicoy, one of whom (a Minicoy elder) writes a “foreword” that this book reflects a historical, social and cultural era of Minicoy’s “Golden Age” for the benefit of Minicoy’s present day generations, who are related by blood to many Maldivian families.

I used to see Saleem sitting in the front row right next to former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom at gatherings of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) years ago. However, I am not sure Saleem is still involved in Maldives’ politics.