Reminding of 7th February 2012 all over again.

Every February 7th, the memory returns like a ghost. It’s not just a date on the calendar; it’s a wound that never healed. When police and military turned against a democratically elected president, they didn’t just overthrow a government—they shattered the nation’s faith in its institutions. And what followed? A decade where corruption became the system’s operating system, not a bug. Why does this matter today? Because the coup was never punished. The architects and enforcers walked free, some even rising to greater power. This impunity sent a clear message: seize power by force, and you might just get rewarded. It created a blueprint for how to run Maldives—through coercion, not consent. The MMPRC scandal, the ventilator graft, the COVID profiteering—each feels like another chapter written by the same authors. Look at the police and army now. When institutions meant to protect become tools for political consolidation, what defense do ordinary citizens have? The very forces that rebelled in 2012 are today used to silence dissent, to ensure that no one asks too many questions. This isn’t just about past events; it’s about a present where the rule of law is optional for the powerful. And the cost? It’s measured in the soaring cost of living, the youth fleeing on risky boats, the families crammed into Malé’s overcrowded flats while politically connected individuals sublease government housing from abroad. When corruption becomes systemic, it doesn’t just steal money—it steals futures. It ensures that tourism dollars benefit a few resort owners parking wealth overseas, while the nation scrambles for foreign currency. What happens when a coup’s legacy is a government bloated with dozens of ministers per ministry, a judiciary that serves political masters, and a public sector where jobs are rewards for loyalty? You get a nation stuck in its darkest chapters, unable to move forward because the past was never settled. The question isn’t whether corruption exists—it’s why we tolerate the system that breeds it. If February 7th taught us anything, it’s that without accountability, history repeats. The same forces that orchestrated the coup now run a coalition of corruption, and until there is justice, Maldives will remain trapped in this cycle. How long before we demand a different ending?