India and Maldives Ties: Despite China, Bound by History and Geography

Why in News?

• Recently Maldives conducted its presidential elections and it is being said that the India-Maldives relations could be affected by new Maldivian President-elect Mohamed Muizzu’s ‘India-Out’ campaign.
• India’s footprints in Maldives are deep-rooted and change may occur to some extent due to the change in leadership in Maldives but it is unlikely to alter the fundamentals.

Geographical Connection Between India and Maldives

• Maldives has an area of 90,000 square km that encompasses 99.6 per cent of the sea. The remaining land is distributed over more than 1,200 islands.
• Experts predict that 80 per cent of the Maldives will cease to exist by 2050 due to ‘Global Boiling’.
• India is the closest neighbour at a distance of 70 nautical miles. India and no one else will come to assist Maldives in an hour of need.
• Ibn Khaldun, a Tunisian philosopher has said that geography is destiny, and it is true in the case of the two countries.

How Has India Helped Maldives in the Past?

• Maldives Depended on India for Essentials and Communication
  • India has always been a factor in Maldives, in fact, it has been the only constant.
  • Even during the British protectorate years (1887-1965), Maldives depended on India for essentials as well as communication with the outside world.
• India’s Assisted in Building Maldives’ Tourist Economy: The State Bank of India was the major financer that helped build the edifice of the country’s tourist economy. Even today, it is the largest bank in the island country.
• India Never Interfered in Maldives’ Internal Developments
  • Whether it was the attempted coup in 1988 or subsequent assistance through decades, India provided a helping hand in every possible way, but stayed clear of internal developments.
  • The dependence of Maldives on India and its unconditional support, has helped it become what it is today, a country with the highest per capita in south Asia.
• India Was the First Respondent During Three Major Crises
  • In three different crises in 1988 (the coup), 2004 (the tsunami), and 2014 (water shortage), Maldives witnessed that India was the first one to assist it.
  • Both in the education and health sectors, Indian teachers and doctors play a critical role in the country including in the remote inhabited islands.
• Defence Cooperation
  • Maldives is aware of the enormous scale of cooperation with India.
  • The defence cooperation is less about India’s gifting of helicopters and more about capacity building through joint exercises like the Ekuverin, Ekatha, surveillance assets, training of 1,400 MNDF trainers in recent years and disaster management.

The Current Situation of India-Maldives Bilateral Relations

• Whether it is trade or tourism, India remains the biggest partner.
• With projects like greater Male connectivity, India is committed to take the infrastructure in Maldives to a different level altogether.
• India provides most essential items in bulk like rice, wheat flour, sugar, potatoes and onions, eggs, vegetables and even river sand and construction material as special dispensation.

India’s Interests in Maldives

• Strategic Importance
  • For India, Maldives is a first line of defence against terrorism, piracy on the high seas, drug trafficking, narcotics, and other maritime crime.
  • Maldives is barely 70 nautical miles away from Minicoy and 300 nautical miles away from India’s West coast.
  • It is situated at the hub of commercial sea‐lanes running through Indian Ocean.
• Geo-Political Interest: India’s interests in Maldives converge on many issues such as:
  • Securing sea lanes of communication;
  • Fighting piracy and sea-based terrorism;
  • Making Indian Ocean a conflict free zone and restoring its status as sea of tranquil;
  • Exploring blue economy and Enhancing trade
• For India’s Internal Security
  • In the past, the number of Maldivians drawn towards terrorist groups like the Islamic State (IS) has increased.
  • Political instability and socio-economic uncertainty are further fuelling the rise of Islamist radicalism in the island nation.
  • This gives rise to the possibility of remote Maldivian islands being used as a launch pad for terror attacks against India and Indian interests.

Challenges to India-Maldives Bilateral Relations

• India Out Campaign
  • The campaign was backed by the country’s opposition leader Abdulla Yameen and the new president elect echoes the same sentiment towards India.
  • It aims to fuel more hatred by creating scepticism for India’s investments in Maldives, the defence partnerships between the two, and India’s net-security provider image.
  • It accuses the government of Maldives of allowing Indian boots on the ground, and thereby compromising the sovereignty of the island nation.
• Increasing Islamic Radicalisation Among Maldivian Population
  • The Maldives has become the country which has been sending the highest per capita number of foreign terrorist fighters to Syria and Iraq in recent years.
  • This has been revealed by a 2020 report by the European Foundation for South Asian Studies.
• The China Factor
  • China’s entry is solely to advance its own interests. It has done so through debt financing, leading to debt traps and consequent hegemony of China.
  • China’s policy of interference in the internal politics and support to conservative elements in Maldives has the potential of becoming a barrier to the development of a vibrant democracy in Maldives.
  • It seems that the legacy of a controlled regime of the Gayoom years is being carried forward by elements that are aligning with China for their narrow gains.This may not be in the larger interest of the nation in the long run.

Way Forward for India-Maldives Relations: Campaign Against India Will Only Harm Maldives

• India is steadfast in its commitments towards Maldives and has always walked the extra mile towards building relations.
• Any impulsive steps to undo the carefully nurtured partnership is likely to harm Maldives more than it would harm India.
• The 2012 “GMR out” campaign cost Maldives a $ 270 million in payout to GMR.
• The Yameen years were marred by a pro-China policy that led Maldives into a debt crisis.

Conclusion

• For decades, India has provided effective security assistance to Maldives in exchange of its hand of friendship and trust.
• It is expected that new president elect Muizzu is unlikely to take drastic measures that alter relations with India.
• Elections are fought on emotions and promises and once practical realities come to the fore in governance, he may realise the potential repercussions of undermining relations with India.

Q1) What is the geographical location of Maldives?

The Maldives is a South Asian Island country located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka and India. It is composed of a double chain of twenty-six atolls, oriented north-south, that lie between Minicoy Island (the southernmost part of Lakshadweep, India) and the Chagos Archipelago. The country's capital and largest city is Malé, located on the southern edge of North Malé Atoll.

Q2) What is ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region)?

SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region) is a foreign policy doctrine of the Indian government that was announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015. The doctrine aims to strengthen India's relationships and cooperation with the countries of the Indian Ocean region, particularly in the areas of security, economic development, and cultural ties.

Source: The Indian Express