In October last year at the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, Narendra Modi had projected India under his rule as a rising diplomatic powerhouse and elicited sycophantic commentary on its growing confidence. While boasting of his image of a ‘Vishwa Guru’, Modi often ignores the bare fact that goodwill cannot be built on the basis of solely providing investments and security support. He also conveniently forgot that for the last five years, India’s South Asian neighbours have largely felt wide resentment and “quit India” had been the major political issue in Maldives.
India’s democratic credentials might have been a major factor in bolstering its image among the neighbours, but Modi instead of rushing with his agenda, should have paused and thought how to salvage the situation and win the trust of our neighbours. Without exception, almost all the Indian neighbours nurse hurt feelings, as on one or more occasions they have been rubbed on the wrong side.
While India’s ‘Godi Media’ was busy creating the impression that Modi occupies the status of world leader and India was ascendant on the international stage, behind the scenes reality was just the opposite. On September 30, the Maldives’ voters dumped the pro-India incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for the pro-China opposition challenger Mohamed Muizzu. This victory exposed India to questions about the state of its ties with neighbours.
Anti-India sentiment was building up in the island for some years now. Meeting his supporters at an event in Naifaru in March 2022, former President Abdula Yameen Abdul Gayoom made an anti-India speech. He wore the word “India Quit” on his T Shirt. Resentment prevailed in the political and social circle that “India First” policy was jeopardizing Maldives’ autonomy.
Though Modi had congratulated Muizzu at his win, it is not clear what measures the External Affairs Ministry undertook to dispel the wrong notion that gripped the people of Maldives. Since the people elected Muizzu, a pro-China leader, it obviously implied that they were angry with India and Modi. One would certainly like to know what went wrong and which stance of Modi or his government aggravated the situation, which finally culminated in Maldives technically severing its ties with India.
One thing is absolutely clear that India’s diplomacy is not of world class. India’s tourism industry decided to boycott Maldives simply at the remark of a film actor, who without realising the consequences of his outburst, appealed to boycott. It is beyond comprehension that Indian foreign affairs should shut its major channel of public to public interaction. Of course, the three junior ministers of Maldives have used insulting and wrong words against Modi. But it could have been tackled at the level of foreign ministry and must not have been dictated by India’s ruling party’s online troll army. The government should have taken note that Muizzu had punished the three ministers. What India got in turn by completely shutting the door? Does not it send out the message that India has no tenable foreign policy? It also sends the message that mandarins of the foreign ministry are least bothered of the future prospects of the country.
It is quite interesting to note that Muizzu has been using “nationalism”, the same armament which Modi uses at home. He had slammed New Delhi for interfering with the internal affairs of the strategically located Indian Ocean archipelago. He also took a dig at India’s defence presence, saying, “We will send back foreign soldiers in the Maldives.” He has even gone to the extent of setting the deadline. Maldivians responding to his appeal obviously implied that they share his views and at some level feel that India has been behaving in a big brotherly manner.
India ought to have more become alert and cautious after noticing the presence of China in the region. Name a country and one will find China’s existence in that country. It has replaced India in Sri Lanka. Modi must be feeling content by managing one port for Adani. Virtually China has surrounded India. Maldives has been receiving India’s fund, but China has outwitted India. Recently, China completed a landmark bridge connecting Male to the neighbouring island where the international airport is located.
“It is a case of distrust that you see in assessing India’s treatment of its smaller neighbours,” as a former head of a South Asian foreign ministry said. “New Delhi doesn’t trust the governments of these countries, particularly in deals with China, so it tries to exert pressure, micromanage even in a petty way and upsets the locals.” Muizzu’s words need to be taken seriously. “Maldives is in Indian Ocean and not in backyard of any particular country.” He was actively working to reduce dependence on procuring essential commodities from a single nation. He even said that the Indian Ocean is not the exclusive domain of any specific nation and noted that the Maldives holds a significant stake in the vast expanse of this ocean.
The major reason which most of the people and experts are reluctant to speak of is the ruling BJP and especially Modi’s attitude towards the Indian Muslims. Maldives is virtually a Muslim country and the Modi government with its open antipathy towards Muslims, has turned the Maldivians hostile towards him and the Hindu-majority India. While this issue did not figure openly in the public domain in the elections, well placed sources maintain that they have been feeling quite aggrieved and hurt. Yet another move of Modi, which turned them sceptical is his government’s offer to develop a coast guard harbour for Maldivian forces and the construction of a national college of policing. Maldivians look at it as an “excuse for India to infiltrate the Maldives to set up a permanent presence”.
Some are deliberately trying to correlate the Maldives issue with Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep. Modi has every right to promote Lakshadweep beaches for tourism. No force on earth can prevent him from doing this. But at the same time, concealing the reality behind this facade is absolutely wrong. This would simply aggravate the relation between the two countries. It is not that Maldives is not aware of the importance of its relations with India. But India too has to play a major role in maintaining that relation.
India, especially Modi, ought to listen to what Muizzu says: “We may be small, but that doesn’t give you the license to bully us.” What made Muizzu speak this ought to be properly analysed. India has always stood by Maldives, it is a known fact and Muizzu is also not unaware of it. Even then, he said that he plans to reduce the country’s dependency on India, including securing imports of essential food commodities and medicine and consumables from other countries. “We aren’t in anyone’s backyard. We are an independent and sovereign state”.
Modi must not nurse the illusion that he would have his way always. Global scenario is changing fast. Why India should feel slighted at Muizzu visiting China before paying tributes to India is a matter to be introspected by India. In a retort to India’s boycott call, Muizzu has already urged China to send more tourists. According to him, China remains one of Male’s closest allies and development partners. In 2022, around 240,000 Indian tourists landed in Maldives. Russia followed closely in second place with 198,000 tourists, and Britain ranked third with over 177,000 arrivals. But before COVID, China held the top spot with over 2,80,000 l tourists.
Modi must bring about a diametrical shift in India’s approach towards Maldives. He must do away with his dominating attitude. A Chinese analyst correctly said: “Lack of confidence among certain Indian politicians is at the root of the present crisis. They should stay more open-minded.”
The Chinese media using the issue to say, “India’s long-standing hegemonic mentality in South Asia is the root cause of strained relations with some regional countries, including the Maldives, and that India should not shift the blame onto China by hyping the narrative of competition with China in the region as an excuse… India is a significant country to the Maldives whether it is from the geographic or historical factor, and its current nervousness about President Muizzu’s visit to China unveils its lack of confidence,” China’s leading English daily Global Times quoted an expert. (IPA Service)
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