Six ropes (ha vaa) were hung up in a pun on the Dhivehi word for fireworks (havaa), angering people of Kulhudhuffushi and disappointing children who expected a fireworks display as announced by the city council.
The council announced fireworks as part of this year's Eid festivities. It was due to take place on the reclaimed land at 8:30 pm last night.
Almost the entire population of more than 10,000 people went to watch the fireworks. Hundreds of children hoped to see fireworks. The elderly and people with disabilities waited in expectation. People from nearby islands also rented speedboats and came to Kulhudhuffushi to watch the fireworks.
But the fireworks did not happen as expected. There were no fireworks when the scheduled time passed. Instead, ropes labelled one to six were hung on a stage at the reclaimed land. The "ha vaa" wordplay joke was something new.
Many people from Kulhudhuffushi have since been expressing displeasure. Some people said the council deliberately misled the public.
"The council knew it was definitely a lie when they announced fireworks...young children and sick people were gathered at the [reclaimed area] through deception," a man named Mujthaba Ahmed wrote on Facebook.
Addressing public anger, Kulhudhuffushi Mayor Mohamed Athif said the event was included in the schedule upon request by the organizers. It was written as "ha vaa" instead of "havaa" in the schedule released by the council to avoid doubt that it was real fireworks, Athif said on Facebook.
Kulhudhuffushi has a history of mockery. The "mashi maali" parade that takes place on Kulhudhuffushi every Eid is an example. But no one was amused with the new way of putting on a fireworks display this time.
