January 19, 2013

Back home!

Dear Readers, 

The day has finally come for me to move back home to the soil I was born on. This is just to let my dear friends, colleagues, and respected readers know that I am back at home in Maldives. It's great to be back with friends and family that I have always yearned to be with. Our country is now in the throes of yet another interesting year that will see coming to the helm of our nation another group of leadership. May Allah bless our nation!

Back on the ground on our breezy streets, I feel happy, yet see sad sights as I had mentioned in an earlier blog. The sad state of our environmental degradation is but a contradiction of the voice we raise so much about the concerns we have for preserving our physical environment. What we seek for our seas and shores should be in alignment with what we wish for our streets also. But still what we continue to see are sights that are not about development but degradation. Empty pet bottles, chocolate wrappers, empty cigarette packs strewn everywhere, guest workers looking for daily employment lined along the side walks and parapets, sidewalks in dismal disrepair, balcony wash off or air-conditioner condensate draining out on pedestrians' heads, young motor-cyclists bursting out from narrow street corners at breakneck speed, all bring to mind what a chaotic little city we have here, and a lament for what our city corporation could be doing about it. Male streets seem surely not meant for the pedestrian. 

My environmental consciousness perhaps always gets the better of me and so such thought arise in my mind incessantly. But truly, our environment is our home actually. As a community this is a fact. Keeping our homes clean and our streets littered and cluttered is both a mental and physical dissonance. A healthy nation is borne out of our respect for our environment. And through this is the way also to sustainable health. Can we call our Male City Corporation to be more mindful and responsible?  

I would like to wish our readers a health, joyous and prosperous new year!




2 comments:

Ranjan's sikh and cricket blog said...

Sir!!!
I can imagine the joy you have once you set foot in your motherland which is the paradise. I am really happy that your retirement will give you more chance to be with wonderful Maldivian people. As a Sri Lankan I am extremely happy to see your contributions to Maldivian people who have been our closest cousins and blood relatives for centuries. We miss you at SEARO but rejoice your contributions to Divehi Rajjaye. Ranjan (SEARO)

Abdul Sattar Yoosuf said...

Thanks Ranjan, yes, it's been long enough and it truly is great to be back. Hope to catch you in Sri Lanka sometime.