Relations With Maldives: Strained Further
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By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2024-01-10 07:37:04
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The India Commentary view
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After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep, during which he posted pictures highlighting the serene beaches of the islands, three deputy ministers in Maldives expressed offensive statements against him and India. This was bound to strain the relationship between both countries. This strain began when Mohamed Muizzu took office as the President of Maldives and immediately leaned towards China. Throwing convention aside, he chose to visit China first (newly elected Presidents of Maldives have always visited India first). He also called for withdrawal of Indian troops from Maldives. The nature of his call showed that there were a huge number of Indian troops in the island nation whereas the truth is that a limited number are there mainly on humanitarian grounds to operate the helicopters and aircrafts provided by India for humanitarian assistance and medical evacuation. He was fueling anti-Indian sentiments, and his ministers have taken their cue from him. The said ministers crossed a line when they spewed hate. Although Muizzu has tried damage control by removing the offending ministers and warning others that such remarks will not be tolerated, it is clear that relations between the two countries have been further strained.
For all his explanation that his policies are pro-Maldives, it is clear that as his poll campaign showed, Muizzu is pro-China. But India has, over the years, poured in billions of dollars to shore up infrastructure in Maldives. It has also taken up a huge number of community development projects there. Indian tourists are the major drivers of the tourism industry in Maldives which contributes 28% of its GDP and 60% of its foreign exchange earnings. If relations between the two countries nosedive and if India stops investing in projects there and Indian tourists stop visiting the nation (as the #BoycottMaldives campaign on social media shows), it will cause Maldives a lot of problems. Hence, the government in Maldives must realize that while developing new friends is not wrong, it should not be at the cost of a tried, tested and mutually beneficial existing relationship.
