"Do humans need work?"

(Dhigurah island, Alif Dhaal atoll, Maldives, Friday, 6 January 2023)

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This was a question one of my friends this week asked me out of the blue to which I don't know how to answer from a philosophical point of view but can understand from the point of view of the thousands of the so-called "Raajjethere" or "Beerattehin" ("islanders" from islands other than the capital Male') who were forced during President Maumoon's 30-year regime to emigrate to Male' for economic, educational, medical, and other opportunities.

Long ago our ancestors may have been forced to spend a great deal of their time in foraging and hunting for food for survival, until the agricultural era came about, and in contemporary times us modern humans have the opportunity to earn a livelihood from various other kinds of work after the industrial revolution set in. And with regard to modern Maldivians, we have the opportunity to work in tourism and fisheries fields and fill in economic opportunities related to both these sectors.

A contentious issue even now raging among us contemporary Maldivians is that the residents of Male' own freely inherited land and therefore, there is no need for them to work because they can survive by renting out their property to "Raajjethere" people who barely can make ends meet after spending on the skyrocketing rent for their housing purposes - not to mention having to eke out a livelihood by running businesses such as shops, restaurants, etc.

The root of the issue seems to lie in the geographical nature of Maldives. And there seems to be two sides to this: on the one hand the geographically scattered nature of the archipelago was earlier thought to be of a permanent disadvantage to Maldives, in that, such a situation renders it economically unfeasible to establish socioeconomic infrastructure in all inhabited islands. And there is the issue of entrepreneurs been unable to make profits from not only a small population but a scattered market as well.

Then, on the other hand, there is the view that the availability of so many uninhabited islands and sandbanks has resulted in a profitable resort-dominated tourism and local community-based travel industry which have started providing Maldivians not only employment opportunities in the hospitality industry but also room for the growth of other economic areas such as agriculture and fisheries - and various other services.

And with the development of regional airports and the establishment of regular speedboat ferry services to improve the connectivity of the whole nation, opportunity is now available for "Raajjethere" residents to return back to their island communities and live in the homes they own. In fact, where Maumoon failed, successive governments' efforts to establish potable water and sewerage facilities in all islands are making it possible for the "islanders" to return back to their islands and live according to their former idyllic island lifestyle.

So, life for Maldivians are moving to a happy state, even if gradually, but it will take more time until all "islanders" can return to their original homes as good schooling and reasonable health services have yet to be established in all inhabited islands, and therefore, some "islanders" can return home at the moment only if their islands exist in proximity to "regional hubs" such as Kulhudhuffushi, etc.

Therefore, until such a time comes to pass, some Maldivians would still be forced to live in concentrated regions like Greater Male' Area. But oddly enough, there are people who prefer to live in the Greater Male' Area in flats and housing units developed and rented out by the government and by private real estate developers. I do have some friends who like living in a "concrete jungle" like the urban centre that is Male' while some other friends can't stand the congestion of a city like Male' and prefer the quiet and isolated nature of rural islands.

Hence, for those who earlier thought that the geography of Maldives was its undoing, it is proving otherwise: there are all kinds of opportunities if you deeply think about them. The question that remains is: did President Maumoon try hard enough to work towards the kind of development we are seeing under successive governments? Was he telling the truth that during his era, the international community did not extend enough grants and loans that could have made such a vision like Maldivian Democratic Party's "Jazeera Raajje" a reality?

How was President Nasheed, President Yameen, and President Solih able to convince other countries to invest in the Maldives to the extent of the great progress we are seeing today? Would one day all Maldivians have land and employment that will enable us to make ends meet and at the same time get the chance to live a life of luxury, leisure and creativity? Would then we chose "voluntary unemployment" which may render us lazy, unproductive, and messed up in the mind?