India – Maldives Bilateral Relations
Context:
- The former president of the Maldives, Abdulla Yameen, was found guilty by a criminal court in the Maldives only a year before the country’s elections, which may have an impact on his ambitions to lead the opposition alliance.
India’s role in Maldivian politics:
- Yameen and India’s relationship has been tense since since the president of the island nation declared an emergency. As the leader of the opposition, he oversaw the “India Out” campaign and has persisted in blaming India for his imprisonment notwithstanding the most recent decision.
- India’s infrastructure support, credit lines, loans, and commissioning of several projects have gained it significant visibility (including the Greater Male Connectivity Project, Hanimaadhoo Airport, Hulhumale Cricket Stadium, and Gulhifalhu Port). Additionally, rumours that India is planning a base have circulated since 2018 due to tight ties and high-level military interactions.
- Despite the Solih government’s quick responses to Mr. Yameen’s accusations, its condemnation of the “India Out” campaign, and the arrest of a prominent opposition figure for making violent threats against the Indian High Commission, the protests have gained significant support in some parts of the country.
- Even if Mr. Yameen might not be able to run in the forthcoming election, this could allow for the inclusion of even more extremists in the opposition coalition. New Delhi needs to keep a close eye on the rift between President Solih and former President Nasheed, two of India’s closest allies there, which poses a threat to the stability of the Maldivian Democratic Party.
Disaster preparedness:
- India provided initial assistance for both the 2004 tsunami and the December 2014 water crisis in the Maldives. As part of Operation NEER, India quickly sent bottled water to Malé using Navy ships and Air Force planes. As part of Mission SAGAR, India continued to provide the Maldives with necessities even after Covid-19 damaged the world’s supply chains.
Financial transactions:
- India surpassed China as the Maldives’ third-largest commercial partner in 2021. The majority of Maldives imports to India are scrap metals.
- India exports a variety of goods to the Maldives, including engineering and industrial goods like drugs and medicines, radar, rock boulders, aggregates, cement, and agricultural goods like rice, spices, fruits, vegetables, poultry products, etc.
- Due to geographical considerations, India has exempted the Maldives from export restrictions on basics.
- Tourism is the Maldives’ main source of income. The country is become a well-liked vacation spot for Indians.
Military cooperation:
- India and the Maldives have mostly collaborated in the security and defence sectors since 1988. Indian defence training and equipment needs have been fulfilled with a very accommodating and flexible approach. India provides the majority of the training opportunities for the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), meeting roughly 70% of their requirements in this field.
- A comprehensive Action Plan for Defense was also agreed in April 2016 to improve defence collaborations. Additionally, areas of defence cooperation between India and the Maldives include joint exercises, maritime domain awareness, equipment donations, infrastructure development, etc.
- In addition to the Composite Training Centre (CTC) for MNDF, Coastal Radar System (CRS), and CRS, a new Ministry of Defence Headquarters is also being constructed.
Collaboration for growth:
The biggest projects India has undertaken in terms of both current and completed development aid are:
- One illustration is the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital.
- The Maldives Institute of Technical Education (now called the Maldives Polytechnic).
- India-Maldives Faculty of Hospitality & Tourism Studies.
- Maldives Education Sector Technology Adoption Program
- India promised the Maldives a USD 500 million package for air, sea, intra-island, and telecommunications to help the country deal with the COVID-19 outbreak-related economic downturn.
- India will provide a grant of $100 million and a fresh line of credit of $400 million to support the Greater Male Connectivity Project.
- To encourage the use of cargo ships that travel straight between India and the Maldives to make it easier to import and export goods into and out of both countries.
- Air bubbles will be used to transport people between India and the Maldives for reasons such as jobs, travel, and medical emergencies. The Maldives is the first country with whom India has operationalized a travel bubble.
Moving ahead:
- India must have a substantial presence in the Indo-Pacific security architecture in order to ensure regional security in South Asia and along the region’s maritime frontiers.
- The Indo-Pacific security space was established as a result of the growth of extra-regional powers (especially China’s) in India’s maritime sphere of influence.
- The Indian government must keep a careful eye on the “India Out” movement in order to safeguard its “sphere of influence.”
- New Delhi must vigorously cultivate the image of the helpful and nice neighbour while without explicitly seeking to influence the results of the election the next year, while having clear favourites in the political sphere.
Conclusion:
- India’s “Neighborhood first” strategy heavily involves the Maldives. We should treat our neighbours with the respect they deserve.
