Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Male reflected the pragmatic recalibration of bilateral relations recently soured under President Mohamed Muizzu’s ‘India Out’ campaign.
While President Muizzu’s policy towards India is short-sighted and lacks sophistication, India should continue with its measured response given the geo-strategic importance of Maldives.
This Occasional Paper is a brief first-hand personal account of the Tevents, discussions, decisions and the action taken in November 1988 by the Government of India to provide help to the Government of Maldives to quell an attempted coup.
Maldives’ foreign policy has witnessed a shift from ‘India First’ under former President Ibrahim Solih to ‘India Out’ that was central to Mohammed Muizzu’s presidential campaign.
The domestic politics of the Maldives might significantly change if the position of the MDP government weakens. It might change the flavour of India–Maldives bilateral relationship and will also have an impact on the security environment in the Indian Ocean region.
India will be able to help and support only to the extent that the demand for democracy and freedom from within Maldives continues to put pressure on Yameen and his security forces.
Maldives is the smallest country of South Asia. But its significance is no less because of its crucial geo-strategic location in the Indian Ocean. It sits astride on major sea lanes of communications (SLOCs). However, the crucial geo-strategic location of the Maldives has also caused problems for the country as it has aroused interests of major world powers.
