19.2 Havaru

Petty Cash ran into the office room and buzzed the director, “Minister is coming, sir!”

Minister of Defence H Walton entered, “Director!” and left the door open.

“Minister!” received Richard Whyte, “Good Morning!”

“Morning! I happened to be passing by, listen, this came in yesterday. I made copies for you. This is about a Gan Lease Agreement, Coral Reef Atoll, signed in 1944. It seems my predecessor asked to relieve a Major Phyllis. Are you aware of it?”

“Yes sir, as a matter of fact, I do.”

“This ship, HMS Mellow, was sunk by whom?”

Richard Whyte stepped up to close the door, “Sir! It’s classified. Top Secret.”

“I am aware of it, Director,” uttered the minister, “Was HMS Strategy involved?”

“I’m afraid, it appears so.”

“They have a tape,” he took a spool and tossed on the table, “obviously a duplicate. I have not seen it. The Maldivian Government stole it from the RAF. Now a woman is in our custody, flown to Borneo, under orders from Vice Admiral Stone. Interrogations carried out by the Navy. This woman was trained by the Russians and supplied of sophisticated spying devices to the government. Infiltration carried out at the base for two consecutive years. This woman worked as an interpreter at the base. Do you have an idea what the Russians are up to?”

“I know of no interference…”

“Listen, the Russians are already there and there must be a good reason. Say a bid for acquiring the base for thirty million dollars! It’s worth. Our government received this letter from the Sultan of Maldive Islands demanding to hold talks on independence. Do you believe it? This tape holds a lot of water. It is like hell blown up a fuse in the Indian Ocean!”

Director Richard Whyte sat astounded with his pipe in his hand. He spoke, “What’s in that tape?”

“Blowing up of the trawler in the Indian Ocean. Moyler was involved. Can we watch it?”

“Yes. We will have to go to the…special branch.”

“Oh yes, your…cue branch.”

After watching the film, they discussed it seriously, knew precisely what was going on and decided to call on the former Minister of Defence, currently the Minister of Aviation at a newly formed bureau. For reasons, Deccan Sanders was more familiar with foreign parts, especially East Asia.

Deccan Sanders advised that the policies should change to support the sultanate and tactfully abandon the USIR. He suggested investigations over HMS Mellow and the Gan Lease Agreement should not take place at the moment. Sanders advised the British Prime Minister that the Maldive Government should see some hope on holding talks towards independence.

Deccan Sanders, Minister of Aviation, flew on a vacation to Singapore. On his way, he stopped at Gan. He met with Commanding Officer John Knet who was about to handover Gan to a new command and leave. John Knet maintained a reserved personality and never associated with the locals. When the minister asked for an ideal person who could relate to the natives, John Knet said, “Sergeant Henry Moon has been around for a while. He speaks fairly good Divehi. He can walk in and out of the open-air baths behind their houses while women take shower.” Sanders managed a little smile.

Deccan Sanders wanted Sergeant Moon to stay for another two years. He was given one-month leave. Out of which he’d have to spend two weeks at a recovery centre. All RAF personnel who returned to the UK would have to undergo tests at a medical facility to relieve from diseases like elephantiasis.

On 27^th July 1960, Deccan Sanders was appointed as the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. Sanders removed Dwire and replaced Anthony Davis who arrived at the island capital on 8^th October 1960.

Deccan Sanders assured the Maldivian Prime Minister that he would seek settlement to amalgamate the separated atoll. Furthermore, there were British promises of a new hospital, pushed work at the airport underway and aid towards education and telecommunication. An airdrop of medical supplies and vaccine to the capital of Malé during a typhoid outbreak took place in the month of August.

The Addu people were not happy with this move and remained unwilling to accept an amnesty from Malé Government. Adaran and the United Suvadive Islands was prepared to lead on its own, purchased a modern fishing vessel from the money this new state raised.

Footloose Habib returned to Malé with Savari Shakir. Habib was taken immediately to prison. Sardar Lahuth was the in-charge of this investigation. Habib failed by releasing Mala without casting her under the spell. Mariam Mala obviously failed to pull the trigger to execute ‘SOS’ – to assassinate Adaran.

Corporal Mosanic recollected the cages of felines that Mala failed to shoot.

A week later, Habib was sentenced for ten years in banishment and he was taken to an Ihavendeu batteli. He spent six years in expulsion on islands in the north and central atolls. Habib made to Malé on sick leaves. In 1966, he was brought back and on 18^th June promoted to a lance corporal. Shakir was then a sergeant.

Savari Abdel Shakir was immediately recruited to the national guards with a stripe on his shoulder; a lance corporal – a sardar. He carried the items and documents removed from Addu Atoll. And of course, he did deliver the letter from Ali Takhan, handed it over to the Defence Minister. Shakir had no idea what happened to it afterwards.