Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan , KCMG, NGIV (Nishan Ghaazeege 'Izzatheri Veriya, September 2, 1926 – November 22, 2008 was a Maldivian politician who served as Prime Minister of the Maldives under Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi from 1957 to 1968 and succeeded him to become the first President of the Second Republic from 1968 to 1978.
Early life
Ibrahim Nasir was born to Ahmad Didi of the famous Velaanaage family and Nayaage Aishath Didi. Nasir is descended from the famous Huraa and Dhiyamigili royal dynasties of the Maldives. Nasir's mother, Aishath Didi, was the daughter of Moosa Didi, son of Dhadimagu Ganduvaru Maryam Didi, daughter of Husain Didi, son of Al-Nabeel Karayye Hassan Didi, son of Prince Ibrahim Faamuladheyri Kilegefan, son of Sultan Muhammed Ghiya'as ud-din, son of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II, son of Sultan Muhammad Imaduddin II of the Dhiyamigili dynasty.
Nasir had married three times and had five children. His first wife was Aisha Zubair (Tuttudon Goma), whom he married in 1950. They had a son named Ahmad Nasir. In 1953 he married Mariyam Saeed Didi with whom he had two sons, Ali Nasir and Muhammad Nasir. In 1969 Nasir married Naseema Muhammad Kaleyfan, with whom he had a son and daughter, Ismail Nasir and Aishath Nasir, respectively.
Education
Ibrahim Nasir studied at the then Madharasatu Saniyya in Male', which later became Majeediyya School in 1969. After studying in Male' he also spent time studying in Sri Lanka.
Premiership
Ibrahim Nasir served as the Prime Minister under the rule of Muhammad Fareed Didi from 12 December 1957 until the former was sworn in as the first President of the second republic of Maldives.
Presidency
Ibrahim Nasir was sworn into the office as the first president of republic of the Maldives on 11 November 1968. Nasir was widely credited with modernizing the long-isolated and nearly unknown Maldives and opening them up to the rest of the world. His foremost work included that of bringing Maldives to the United Nations even with the opposition of some nations that felt awkward at including a nation of such a small size. He laid the foundations of the nation by modernizing the fisheries industry with mechanized vessels and starting the tourism industry. Even today the nation is dependent on these two industries as a primary source of income for the nation.
He was credited with many other improvements such as introducing an English-based modern curriculum to government-run schools. He brought television and radio to the country with formation of Television Maldives and Radio Maldives for broadcasting radio signals nationwide. Nasir abolished Vaaru, a tax on the people living on islands outside Malé, as well as many other taxes on various imports to the country, some of which have been since re-instated. When Nasir relinquished power Maldives was debt-free to the international community. Under his watch, the national shipping line with more than 40 ships that were plying the oceans of the world remained a source of national pride for Maldivians. It was a remarkable success story among the maritime nations of South Asia. Nasir is considered as the independence hero of Maldives. He brought about the independence of Maldives from being a protectorate of the British Empire. He built the first international airport in the Maldives (Malé International Airport).
Ibrahim Nasir ran an authoritarian government that maintained discipline and a clean record. He maintained good relations with colleagues but enforced strict discipline when it came to misconduct and neglect. He did not hesitate to take punitive measures against close colleagues and even his own children and relatives where work, morality and ethics were concerned. He was a man of action and integrity, feared and respected by all. Excellent management of time was one of his rare virtues. In negotiations, he was tough and unrelenting, and that was the hallmark of the dialogue he had with Britain during times of crisis and in the struggles for independence. From a personal side Nasir was a jovial man with lots of humor among friends. He loved driving and boating and enjoyed movies.
Nasir held regular elections that were fair and reflected the will of the people. He did not interfere with the electoral process to rig the elections as is claimed to have been done by the Gayoom regime during its thirty year rule. Nasir elected atoll committees and atoll chiefs during his time, even though atoll chiefs were appointed during Gayoom's rule. After serving two terms as President, Nasir refused to accept nomination to become president for a third term. Before his resignation he proposed to the Parliament a motion that no one may be elected as President for more than two terms (it was rejected). Nasir is considered to be one of the few leaders in Asia who knew the time had come for him to say goodbye. He showed a good example of democracy to Maldivians. Maldivian intellectuals today believe that Nasir was shabbily treated after he voluntarily relinquished power in a rare gesture of true democracy. For 30 years Nasir has never felt the warmth and beauty of the country he loved and served so much until his death. Today, Nasir is considered as the architect of modern Maldives by many Maldivians. He is the father of Independence of the small island nation.
Criticism
Nasir was criticized for his authoritarian methods against opponents.[1] Most notably was criticized for his iron-fisted methods in handling an insurrection by the people of Thinadhoo, Addu and Huvadu Atolls, who formed a breakaway government – United Suvadives Republic – with closer ties to the British, for a brief period of time. He once started using latin alphabet. This has been criticized by former president Gayoom's supporters, claiming that it affected the Maldivian alphabet, Thaana. However, today it is widely accepted that Nasir did this to make Maldivians aware of the telegraph and to make them aware of the alphabet which later caused further significance to Maldivians. Today it is the latin alphabet which is used widely in mobile phones and e-mails in Maldives. Almost, no old people are there who can't read this alphabet among Maldivians.
Nasir was widely criticised during Gayoom's regime. Especially during the first days of Gayoom after sworned in as president. There were massive rallies in almost all the big islands of Maldives with indecent cartoons of Nasir organized by Gayoom's government. There were cartoons of Nasir on the roads and on newspapers too. Horrible anti-Nasir songs were recorded and distributed by the government. These songs were even played on national radio. Offensive words were used for Nasir in these songs. These songs and cartoons were used in the rallies.
It is said until Nasir left Male' Gayoom praised Nasir and talked in favour of him (As in his first speech after sworned in as president). But after Nasir left Male' everything changed. After he left Male', mass demonstrations were held against him, labeling him traitor, calling death for him. He was tried in absentia and sentenced. However, the allegations against Nasir were never proven. Later Gayoom pardoned him.
Later life and death
Nasir was succeeded by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who was then Minister of Transport and former permanent representative of the Maldives to the United States. The former president went into exile in Singapore on 7 December 1978 after resigning from his post. In 1981, Gayoom sentenced him to jail in absentia for alleged corruption charges and plotting a coup d'état; none of the allegations were proven and Nasir was pardoned.
On November 22, 2008, at the age of 82, Nasir died at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. Though the cause of death is unknown, he had kidney problems, which plagued him in the time before his death. Nasir's body was flown to the Maldives, where his body was displayed in Theemuge, the presidential palace in Malé, on November 23. The day was declared a national holiday in the Maldives, and tens of thousands of Maldivians flocked to see Nasir's body, which was displayed at a ceremony in Republican Square before going to Theemuge. At the presidential palace, current President Mohamed Nasheed and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom were among those who paid their respects to Nasir. His funeral prayer was led by Dr. 'Abdul Majeed 'Abdul-Bari after the Fajr (dawn) prayers on Monday, 24th November 2008. After the funeral prayers, Nasir was laid to rest at dawn at the cemetery attached to the Friday Mosque (Hukuru Miskkiy). Nasir left behind three children, Ahmed Nasir, Ismail Nasir and Aishath Nasir. His other two sons, Ali Nasir and Muhamed Nasir, had predeceased their father by several years.
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