India-Maldives Relation History: Maldives is a small island nation located 2,142 kilometers from India. Three ministers of Maldives met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi But made lewd and racist comments. Due to this, the island nation became the target of Indians and a boycott campaign was started against it on social media on Sunday (January 7).
Maldives, which attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world including India, engaged in damage control after the incident and distanced itself from the comments of its leaders Malsha Sharif, Maryam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahjoom Majeed.
All three ministers were suspended
Hours after the incident, Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu suspended the three ministers, just a day before his visit to Beijing. It is noteworthy that last November, Muizzu had sought votes in the name of ousting Indian armed forces from Maldives and after winning the elections, he assumed the post of President.
India stood with Maldives
Last month, PM Modi met the President of Maldives on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai. During this, both the countries had agreed to strengthen their partnership. It is noteworthy that India has always stood by Maldives in good and bad times. India was one of the first countries to recognize the island nation in 1965 and also established diplomatic relations with the Maldives.
Saved Maldives from coup
After this, in 1988, India came forward to help Maldives to foil the coup attempt of Abdulla Luthufi. The coup backed by Sri Lankan terrorist group Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was foiled by India under the mission code-named ‘Operation Cactus’.
India provided financial assistance
After this, on 17 November 2018, PM Modi attended the swearing-in ceremony of the then President Ibrahim Solih. He held bilateral talks with Solih right after his swearing-in ceremony. PM Modi expressed India’s desire to work together to realize the development priorities of Maldives. Solih visited India on his first foreign trip a month after assuming office. India announced a financial assistance package of $1.4 billion.
India provides training to Maldives defense forces
Defense and security have been a major area of cooperation between the two countries since 1988. India provides the largest number of training opportunities for the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF). A Ministry of External Affairs document states that India meets about 70 percent of their defense training requirements.
India has trained more than 1,500 MNDF personnel in the last 10 years. Not only this, the Indian Navy has also provided aerial assets to MNDF for aerial surveillance, medevac, SAR, helo-borne vertical insertion.
The MNDF actively participates in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, search and rescue, pollution control and other exercises conducted by India. New Delhi had given pollution removal equipment to the MNDF Coast Guard in 2016. Apart from this, MNDF is also taking training for fire and rescue service in India.
Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital built
India has implemented many development projects in Maldives. It also includes the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, which was built with Indian grant aid in 1995. This hospital was renovated in 2017. Modi government had given funds for this.
Maldives Institute of Technical Education, now known as Maldives Polytechnic, was built at a cost of Rs 12 crore and was handed over by India to the Government of Maldives in 1996.
India becomes third largest trade partner
India became Maldives’ third largest trading partner in 2021. Indian exports to Maldives include goods such as engineering and industrial products such as drugs and pharmaceuticals, radar devices, rock boulders, cement and agricultural products such as rice, spices, fruits, vegetables and poultry.
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