India-Maldives Relations | Gist of Rajya Sabha TV / RSTV (now Sansad TV) - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

President of the Republic of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was on an Official visit to India. India-Maldives relations have been close, cordial and multi‐dimensional. India was among the first to recognize Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country. Maldives is India’s key neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region and occupies a special place in India’s Neighbourhood First Policy. In recent years, the partnership has witnessed rapid growth in all areas of cooperation. So what are the key focus areas of this wide ranging partnership and what more is on the horizon for both sides.

India-Maldives ties are built on a very strong foundation, the contours of which are defined by shared strategic, security, economic and developmental goals. The evolution of ties between the two countries is as follows:

• 1965 to 2012:
  • India was among the first to recognise Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country. India established its mission at Malé in 1972.
  • Operation Cactus in 1988: Indian Army’s operation foiled a coup in Maldives that was attempted by a pro-Eelam group. This was a success of India’s foreign policy without signalling any interference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign country.
  • In 2006, Indian Navy gifted a Trinkat Class Fast Attack Craft of 46 m length to Maldives National Defence Force’s Coast Guard.
  • India maintains a naval presence in Maldives, at the request of the Maldives, since 2009.
  • India and  Maldives  have  consistently  supported  each  other  in  multilateral  fora  such  as the UN, the Commonwealth, the NAM and the SAARC.
  • Maldives has pledged its support to India as a permanent member of an expanded UN Security Council.
  • India has offered assistance to Maldives wherever required. After the tsunami that struck Maldives on December 26, 2004, India was the first country to rush relief and aid to Maldives.
  • Relations between India and Maldives came under a strain after Male had terminated the agreement it entered into with GMR in 2010 for the modernisation of the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.
• Post 2012:
  • The relations had soured after ex-president Yameen’s serious suppression of democracy with many opposition leaders being jailed under Arson and Sedition. The former pro-India Maldivian president Nasheed was also incarcerated. Yameen even proclaimed Emergency fearing Impeachment.
  • India had assisted Maldives’ election process by sending its observers, and had also withdrawn observers at one point because the electoral process was neither free nor fair.
  • In March 2015, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled his state visit to the island nation protesting the gross injustice and authoritarian moves of Yameen.
  • The Maldives also declined India’s invitation to take part in its biennial eight-day naval exercise, MILAN, last year.
  • Maldives is also part of China’s Silk Road project, a move that has not gone down well in New Delhi.
  • Maldives growing “closeness” with China: Both China and Pakistan stepping up their strategic inroads into the Maldives and China even signed a Free-Trade agreement.
  • India was the first to respond to the drinking water crisis in 2014 in the Island by sending a ship fitted with desalination plant and huge stock of potable water.
  • Yameen government had asked India to remove its Dhruv advanced light helicopters from Maldives (which India had gifted in 2013).
  • Yameen’s government has also rejected visa renewals for Indians who were legally working in the Maldives, without giving any explanation.
  • Work permits were not being issued to Indian Nationals.

Potential ties

• It gives a boost to India’s efforts to strengthen its partnerships in the neighbourhood.
• In keeping with ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy, India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership.
• India can now renew its ties with the new government and work with Maldives for ensuring stability and security of Indian Ocean region (IOR).
• India can renew talks over the fate of Indian Coast Guard and Air Force personnel stationed in the Maldives, whose visas have been pending since June 2018.
• With new regime at Centre, India would hope that democratic institutions are upheld, political prisoners are released and bilateral relations are improved.

Conclusion

• With the people electing a more democratic form of government in Maldives, India can engage with Maldives to establish much more friendly relations than previous government era to protect the safety and security of entire Indian Ocean region.
• India can stand together with the aspirations of citizens of neighbouring countries and theprospects of a long-term sustainable relationship will be much brighter.