Maldives is back on India’s side
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had reasons to smile upon returning to New Delhi on Monday after a two-day trip to the Maldives. This was the first official Indian visit to the country since the new government, led by President Ibrahim Solih, assumed office in November, although Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a brief visit there to attend Solih’s swearing-in ceremony. Solih replaced Abdulla Yameen, who snubbed India and courted Chinese investments, running up massive debts as Beijing flooded the island with a slew of infrastructure projects. Despite repeated requests from Maldivian opposition leaders for Indian intervention after Yameen rejected a Supreme Court order to free political prisoners and declared an emergency, New Delhi played the waiting game.
And it paid off when Solih trounced Yameen in the elections last year. His first foreign trip was to Delhi in December, where he was accorded a red-carpet welcome, and a stay in Rashtrapati Bhavan. During talks with Indian leaders including Modi, Solih reiterated his country’s India-first policy, and returned with a $1.4 billion aid package, apart from pledges to invest in Maldives’ infrastructure, housing, and health sectors. Days later, a liberal visa regime was inked, allowing Maldivian business persons and tourists to stay in India for 90 days without a visa. Subsequently, the Maldivian defence minister visited India and held discussions on installing Indian military radars in the island nation.
Progress was made during Swaraj’s visit. Agreements on visa facilitation for diplomats, development cooperation and renewable energy were signed. Also, Maldives’ request for help with the construction of a stadium is likely to get Delhi’s nod. But India cannot afford to be complacent. Former Maldivian Home Minister Umar Naseer sought to hold an anti-India rally, a day before Sushma’s arrival. In his official Facebook page, Umar has accused India of funding Maldivian politicians and plotting to make the island nation a state of India by 2030. New Delhi needs to counter such narratives diplomatically or risk losing a friend once again.