Since my childhood, my siblings and I have been living like refugees. We've been continuously moving from one room to another for shelter. That’s not because we’re real refugees, but because my father refuses to let us into our home.
For the past 14 years, my two sisters, two brothers and I have rented different places from north to south and east to west Male', even though we are Male’ citizens. There wasn't much to distinguish us from immigrant islanders. The only difference was that they’re registered in the registry of Male’ municipality, and we’re registered in my father’s house, G.Shady Ground, which he inherited from our grandfather.
Unfortunately, before giving us any chance to live in it, my father sold our house in two parts. One half was sold in the earlier Maldives, before the 2008 presidential elections, and the second half was sold in the "Other Maldives”.
When we got the news that the second half of our house was sold, we immediately filed the case at High Court. We were very confident that we would win the case for three reasons.
The first reason was that when my father sold our house, he had a minor and two unmarried girls to look after. Under the law, children under the age of 18, as well as unmarried girls, have to be provided with property. Secondly, he sold our house, by giving a false statement to the civil court. For example, he said that his family (including us) was living in Sri Lanka, which wasn’t true. Lastly, he sold our house, even though he had a mortgage for it from the Bank of Maldives.
All of these were in breach of the Land Act, but shockingly, the civil court failed to address the above issues before the verdict.
Before the High Court case, the civil court had declared that my father had legally sold the house. But during our High Court hearings, the court sent a letter suspending the civil court ruling, until the verdict had been announced. During this time, the house still belonged to my father.
Although we had the legal right to move back into our half of the house, the buyer's family did not move out. After holding two protests, demanding to get our house back, my siblings and I were finally able to move into my father’s place. We were sharing a single bedroom from my father’s part of the house, while the rest was occupied by the buyer’s children.
For more than two weeks police were looking after the security, as per request of the buyer.
One night, a team of police arrived at our house, demanding us to leave the place. We responded, saying if we had to leave the room, the buyer should also clear the rest of the rooms, which were on my father’s side. But the police team refused to communicate with us, claiming that the decision was made under a court-issued warrant.
When we refused, dozens of star force police came, and arrested me, my sisters and brother. We were handcuffed behind our backs and taken to Atholhuvehi custodial at around 2am. We were made sit in chairs, handcuffed, facing a wall until early morning.
We were told that there hadn't been a court order for our arrest, but only a command of a “superior person”. After the call for morning Azaan, my eldest sister was released, while the rest of us remained detained. Instead of the morning breakfast, we were welcomed with a special investigation.
Separately, at first, my elder brother was made to fully undress, and then I was as well. Later, both of us were taken to a cell. My youngest sister too was forced to undress. They made her stand up and sit down while naked three times as a punishment. We have since been told that her treatment was highly irregular and have filed a case with the Human Rights Commission Maldives.
In the afternoon, my brother and I were served lunch. We refused to eat it, knowing that my younger sister wouldn’t eat anything, believing that we were hungry. And indeed this was what happened. When we met up with her again, she said she had refused to eat, because she thought that we hadn't been fed.
I never dreamed that I would have to experience such cruel and inhumane things in the "Other Maldives”, but unfortunately, my siblings and I were one of the early victims.
In the afternoon, we were released. Frustration and anger didn’t make us give up. We protested outside the civil court, demanding our rights. Days later, High Court made a ruling in our favour, but once gain the police refused to let us into the house. Instead, the buyer continued living there without adhering to the High Court verdict.
In order to adhere to the High Court ruling, we presented this case to civil court. Before any of the hearings, once again my father presented a case to the civil court to sell the same house to the same buyer.
We had also brought my father’s case to the police, asking for an investigation into providing false details to civil court, when selling our home. Yet it seemed that still the case wasn't considered a big deal.
These things remind me of a quotation from Mother Teresa, which gives us the strength to fight for our rights.
“Hungry not only for bread - but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing - but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks - but homeless because of rejection.”
