Under President-Elect Mohamed Muizzu, the path forward in India-Maldives ties
Context- In one of the first statements following his victory in the country’s presidential elections, Maldives’ new president-elect Mohamed Muizzu, said “We will send back foreign soldiers in the Maldives.” While Muizzu did not name any country, his remarks have been interpreted as a message directed at India.
(Credits- Mappr)
Muizzu’s People’s National Congress-Progressive Party of Maldives (PNC-PPM) coalition had heavily focused on India’s influence in the archipelagic nation and had accused New Delhi of using this influence to establish what it called a permanent military presence in the Maldives.
The background
- There have been a handful of issues—some over a decade old—that have been particularly in focus in the context of bilateral relations between India and the Maldives
- The first is the long-standing controversy over the two Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALF), based in Addu Atoll and at Hanimaadhoo, that were given by India to the Maldives in 2010 and in 2015, both of which were used for maritime weather surveillance, ocean search-and-rescue operations and for airlifting patients between islands.
- Supporters of the anti-India campaign, particularly the PPM, were trying to portray that by gifting these military helicopters, India was attempting to create military presence in the country.
- According to the terms of bilateral agreements between the two countries, Indian officers had been sent to the Maldives to train the Maldives National Defence Force, under whose command these helicopters operate.
- In 2016, during the Yameen government, domestic fervour against the perceived military presence of Indian forces in the country reached its peak, with the Maldives asking India to take back these helicopters and refused to extend the term of the agreement
- Several bilateral agreements between India and the Maldives involve training provided by Indian soldiers to their Maldivian counterparts, including in the agreements concerning the helicopters.
- Two years later, in 2018 when Ibrahim Mohamed Solih assumed office, he resigned these agreements, extending the stay and use of these helicopters in the country.
- Another recurring complaint by supporters of the ‘India Out’ campaign has been the lack of transparency in agreements being signed between the Solih government and India, where these bilateral agreements have not been shared and discussed in the Maldives Parliament, citing national security.
Ongoing developments
- while politicians have the freedom to pursue volatile rhetoric while campaigning before elections, that is much harder to do as the leader of a nation.
- Yameen government’s cancellation of bilateral agreements with India, a move that had aligned with both the former leader’s rhetoric and foreign policy.
- Steps such as aggressively cancelling agreements, would require the Maldives to cough up financial compensation of an amount running up to millions of dollars, which it may not necessarily be in a position to undertake.
- In a report published in 2022, the World Bank has said that although the Maldives was not at immediate risk of a crisis, the country needs to raise revenues and implement several expenditure and debt reforms to avoid an economic crisis in the future.
- Observers in India believe that even if under the leadership of Muizzu, the Maldives takes a step back to review agreements that the Solih government had signed with New Delhi, the country will be compelled to turn to other allies for assistance to fill the subsequent gap.
- Experts interviewed in the Maldives and India have said that while the campaign has claimed it is protesting against Indian military presence, naming the campaign ‘India Out’ was interpreted as singling out and targeting the country, which had a butterfly effect, impacting all aspects of exchanges between the two countries.
- The anti-India sentiment didn’t just sprout overnight last year, but is nearly a decade old and can be traced back to when Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom of the Progressive Party (PPM) became president in 2013.
Underlying sentiments
- During Yameen’s rule, India-Maldives relations severely deteriorated and the anti-India sentiment was apparent . There was a significant amount of anti-India rhetoric during that time because the Maldivian government was pro-China, but at the same time, it had also openly discussed an ‘India-First’ policy for the Maldives.
- Also, Indian diplomats stationed in the Maldives have not been able to develop constructive relationships with politicians outside the ruling MDP party, which led to perhaps strained relations and sparse communication with parties like PPM, PNC etc.
- All of this came together and contributed to fuelling anti-India sentiments, misunderstandings and the building of a sense of mistrust. While many ordinary Maldivian nationals believe that Indian citizens are very much welcome in the country, the lack of political dialogue has given a different impression.
Way Forward- While some may perceive strained relations and sparse communication with certain political parties, it’s essential to consider that diplomatic engagement is a complex process influenced by a range of factors. The warm reception of ordinary Maldivians towards Indians underscores the significance of people-to-people connections and the potential for positive relations to transcend political discourse.
Syllabus- GS-2; International Relations
Source- Indian Express
