While India’s relations with the island nation have seen a new dawn, the real issue is to maintain this mindful engagement
By Dhananjay Tripathi
Hyderabad: Most of the discussion on South Asia from an Indian perspective focuses on Pakistan. Undoubtedly, for post-independent Indian foreign policy, Pakistan posed some stringent challenges. Thus, it occupies much of our intellectual space in a discussion centred on South Asia.
However, if we examine India’s recent engagement with its other neighbours, there is a marked improvement in bilateral ties. This is true in the case of India-Maldives relations, where one can easily discern the strengthening of political bonding in the last few years.
The Maldives is a small island country often referred to as a gateway to the Indian Ocean. It is strategically close to two crucial sea lanes of communications (SLOCs) that are critical routes for international maritime trade, including for India. In geopolitical consideration of India, Maldives is some 60 nautical miles from the Minicoy island of Lakshadweep. Therefore, a robust political presence of China in the Maldives will be detrimental to Indian interests.
The China Question
Some analysts believe that the Maldives is in China’s string of pearls strategy to encircle India. China established diplomatic ties with the Maldives in 1972 and opened its embassy in 2011, but after that made sincere efforts to consolidate its presence there. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Maldives in 2014; the official Chinese media described that as a ‘first of its kind’ since establishing diplomatic ties between the two.
The Maldives is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and several infrastructure projects have Chinese investment like the Velana International Airport, the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge (Sinamalé Bridge) and the construction of almost 10,000 housing units. Most of these projects were initiated during the tenure of former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen, who was in power from 2013-2018. This was the time when China signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Maldives and acquired leases of a few islands. Yameen is known for his inclination towards China and had recently endorsed the ‘India-Out’ campaign in the Maldives and backed it politically.
Yameen is the leading contender for the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and will make every possible effort to regain power in the election scheduled later this year. As a matter of fact, Solih is viewed as pro-India and developed close ties with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yameen wants to exploit this by projecting him as Delhi’s proxy. Yameen’s electoral prospects at present are unclear as he is declared guilty by a lower court in a money laundering case. As per the Maldivian constitution, he is not eligible to contest. Yameen is now appealing in the high court against his conviction and much depends on the judicial verdict.
Recent Engagement
Looking into India’s Maldives policy over the last few years, it is difficult not to appreciate it precisely because New Delhi has shown a sensitive and positive approach. In November 2018, PM Modi attended the swearing-in ceremony of Solih, and he again visited the Maldives in 2019 after resuming office for the second time. Thereafter, India’s Foreign Minister Jaishankar visited Maldives on several occasions.
India, over the years, has shown commitment to the development sector of Maldives and is associated with some of the vital projects like the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, setting up of a 100-bed cancer hospital and establishment of a polytechnic in Maldives. During the tough phase of Covid, India provided financial assistance of $250 million to the Maldives and sent vaccines and other medical necessities. The Maldivian government lauded this Indian assistance at a time of need.
There have been joint-military exercises named Ekuverin (friends) going on between the two sides since 2009. The 11th edition of Ekuverin was conducted at Kadhdhoo Island, Maldives, in December 2021. Besides this, the Indian Army trains Maldivian Armed Forces, including their special forces. Recently, India has been related to two significant projects in the Maldives that have long-term socio-economic advantages.
India supported the construction of the National College for Policing and Law Enforcement (NCPLE) in the island nation. It is expected that NCPLE will enhance the capabilities of the internal security agencies of the Maldives. India has given $33 million as grant assistance for this project. The second in this category is the Greater Male Connectivity Project, for which India extended a $400-million line of credit. In this, an additional $100 million is given as a grant, and the project will improve the economic life of the Maldives by connecting four islands where almost half of the population resides.
India is also giving short-term training to the Maldivian civil servants, and this is part of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the National Centre for Good Governance, Mussoorie, and Maldivian Civil Service Commission. The programme is designed not only to have lectures but also a tour of some of the places in India to give a better understanding of the country to the visiting civil servants of the Maldives. There are many other MoUs, each of which has its relevance.
The Future
While India-Maldives relations have seen a new dawn, the real issue is to maintain this relationship. Whatever the outcome of the election this year, India has sincerely invested in the Maldives and it is expected that this mindful engagement will continue in future. Remember, with the rising India-China political tension, the Maldives is now strategically more important.