India-Maldives Relations

Context

Foreign Minister of the Maldives, Abdulla reiterates his commitment to strengthen relations with India in all forms.

Background

Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla, at an event to launch a street-lighting project supported by India, has said that the connection is with the people of the two countries. A connection indicating a heart-to-heart relationship between India and Maldives, and he further added that we acknowledged this relationship. Similar words were spoken by the Speaker and former President Mohamed of Maldives, he said that the Maldives cannot grow or develop further if the country abandons its ties with India.

Bilateral Ties

As close and friendly neighbours, India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links steeped in antiquity and enjoy cordial and multi-dimensional relations. India was among the first to recognize Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country. India established its mission at Malé in 1972.

Political Relations

Bilateral relations have been nurtured and strengthened by regular contacts at all levels. Since establishment of diplomatic relations, almost all Prime Ministers of India visited the Maldives. From the Maldivian side, the President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, on his first State visit, since his surprise election, accompanied by First Lady Fazna Ahmed visited India from December 16-18, 2018 at the invitation of Prime Minister. During his own visit to Maldives, The Indian Prime Minister had assured all possible assistance to the beleaguered nation, whose economy is in dire straits and riven with a Chinese debt trap of over US$ 3bn.

Defence Ties

India and the Maldives in last December vowed to boost anti-terror cooperation and expand their maritime security ties to deal with common challenges in the Indian Ocean, a region where China has been rapidly expanding its military presence.

Both sides inked two pacts providing for cooperation in financial intelligence and election-related issues besides exchanging an instrument of ratification for a treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. Both Nations also noted that India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Maldives’ ‘India First’ policy were working in tandem to further strengthen a dynamic, multifaceted and mutually beneficial partnership that rests on the foundation of mutual trust, understanding and sensitivity to each other’s interest.

Assistance
India is a leading development partner of Maldives and has established many of the leading institutions of Maldives including the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), Faculty of Engineering Technology (FET) and Faculty of Hospitality & Tourism Studies (IMFFHTS). India has offered assistance to Maldives wherever required. After the tsunami that struck Maldives on December 26, 2004, India was the first country to rush relief and aid to Maldives. India provided a budget support aid of Rs.10 crores in view of the serious financial difficulties being faced by Maldives on account of the tsunami and related factors.

India announces $500 mn package for Maldives including air, sea, intra-island and telecommunications in an effort to help the Indian Ocean Islands deal with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both sides were finalising an additional soft loan arrangement as part of India’s decision to extend “urgent financial assistance” to the Maldives to cope with the COVID-19 situation.

Capacity Building and Training

Capacity building and skills development is one of the key components of India’s assistance to Maldives. India offers several scholarships to Maldivian students under the following schemes:

• ICCR scholarships
• SAARC Chair Fellowship
• ITEC training & scholarships
• Technical Cooperation Scheme of Colombo Plan
• Medical scholarships

Several Maldivian diplomats have received training in India under the Indian Foreign Service Institute’s Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats (PCFD) program. The Government of India financed a US$5.30 million project for Technology Adoption Programme in Education Sector in Maldives. The project, executed by NIIT and EEEC (India), trained around 3000 Maldivian teachers and youth across islands in Computer skills.

Cultural Relations

Both the countries share long cultural links and continuous efforts are underway to further strengthen these linkages. Three historical mosques (Friday Mosque and DharumavanthaRasgefaanu Mosque - Male’, Fenfushi Mosque - South Ari Atoll) were successfully restored by Indian experts from NRLCCP, Lucknow. Exchange of cultural troupes takes place regularly between the countries. Hindi commercial films, TV serials and music are immensely popular in Maldives. The India Cultural Center (ICC), established in Male in July 2011, conducts regular courses in yoga, classical music and dance. ICC programmes have become immensely popular among Maldivians of all ages.

Indian Community

Indians are the second largest expatriate community in the Maldives with approximate strength of around 26,000. Indian expatriate community consists of workers as well as professionals like doctors, teachers, accountants, managers, engineers, nurses and technicians etc. spread over several islands. Of the country’s approximately 400 doctors, over 125 are Indians. Similarly around 25% of teachers in Maldives are Indians, mostly at middle and senior levels.

Out of the Track

Maldives was in a virtual political turmoil under the leadership of President Abdulla Yameen, he provided his Chinese friends the leeway they were looking for without realising the debt trap of “Belt and Road Initiative“ he was angling into. He negated all the norms of democratic governance and undermined the institutions in an arbitrary manner which was evident in the way he detained the judges, side-lined the lawmakers and hounded out his political rival former President Mohammed Nasheed who had to seek refuge in UK and then Sri Lanka.

But the September-17 elections changed all that when the political fortunes of Yameen took a dive and Ibrahim Mohamed Solih emerged victorious and formed the government with the support of four other smaller parties. This also changed the complex of Maldives external relations and diplomatic outreach. India was back in the reckoning.

Conclusion

Maldives is very significant for India. An Island Nation which is geographically positioned like a ‘toll gate’ between the western Indian Ocean choke points of the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Hormuz on the one hand, and the eastern Indian Ocean choke point of the Strait of Malacca on the other. Thus it has broad strategic significance for global maritime trade, particularly to India. So far India has maintained close relations, even during the low times, also any significant presence of China in this region is not in favour of India hence any such possibility must be guarded against.

Connecting the Article

Question for Prelims

Moving from north to south, what is the correct sequence in passing through the following Island Nations?

1. Maldives
2. Mauritius
3. Seychelles

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1-2-3
(b) 2-3-1
(c) 3-2-1
(d) 1-3-2

Question for Mains

‘In an effort to counter China’s influence and to bolster its own regional standing, India should step-up its engagement with Maldives, and also other such strategically-located SIDS (Small Island Developing States), through a variety of interventions based upon cultural, religious, economic and political facets of New Delhi’s foreign policy.’ Discuss.