A change for the worse: On the rapid decline in India-Maldives ties 

India and the Maldives should see the benefits of closer ties 

The rapid decline in ties between India and the Maldives, just a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the newly elected Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, should set alarm bells ringing. The trigger (an event or situation, etc. that causes something to start) came from tweets by three Maldivian Ministers, attacking Mr. Modi for promoting the Lakshadweep islands during his recent sojourn (to spend a short period staying in a particular place) there at a perceived (to come to an opinion about something, or have a belief about something) cost to the Maldives and for his close ties with Israel; the Ministers also made derogatory (showing strong disapproval and not showing respect) remarks about Indians. The tweets have been deleted, the Ministers suspended, and the Maldivian government has distanced (to become or seem less involved or connected with something) itself from them, but the damage has been done. The respective Ambassadors (an official who represents his or her own country in a foreign country) were summoned (to order someone come to a particular place, or to officially tell someone to be present). Hurt Indians have crowded social media sites calling for an economic “boycott” (to refuse to buy a product or take part in an activity as a way of expressing strong disapproval) of the Maldives — Indian tourists make up the most arrivals post-COVID-19. However, the underlying (real but not immediately obvious) reasons run deeper, and could have a broader impact on India-Maldives relations and the neighbourhood, accruing (to increase over a period of time) to the change in government in Male. Mr. Muizzu rode to power on the back of the PPM’s “India Out” campaign. Despite its disappointment (something or someone that is not what you were hoping it would be) with the win of ‘anti-Indian forces’, given the warm relationship it shared with his predecessor (someone who had a job or a position before someone else, or something that comes before another thing in time or in a series) Ibrahim Solih, the Modi government sent a Minister to his swearing in, and there was a Modi-Muizzu meet at the COP28. However, Mr. Muizzu chose Turkey as his first bilateral destination, and is now visiting China — becoming the first President not to make India his first priority. Even President Yameen, who began the “India Out” movement and cozied up (to be very friendly to someone with the hope of getting an advantage) to Beijing, visited Delhi first in 2014. Mr. Muizzu has continued to press India on the withdrawal of its military personnel, even though India has clarified (to make something clear or easier to understand by giving more details or a simpler explanation) their role.

With the calls for boycotts and rising hypernationalistic (extremely and unreasonably proud of your own country, and often thinking that other countries are not as good as yours) rhetoric (speech or writing intended to be effective and influence people), Delhi and Male need to take a step back and reassess (to think again about something in order to decide if you should change the way you feel about it or deal with it) their responses. Mr. Muizzu can ill-afford to antagonise (to make someone dislike you or feel opposed to you) India, given its proximity, economic might and historical position as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean, something Maldives has relied on. India too must see the futility of muscling in a much smaller neighbour, however egregious the provocation (an action or statement that is intended to make someone angry). The last few years of ties between the Solih government and Delhi show the benefits of a stronger relationship: India’s infrastructure (the basic systems and services, such as transport and power supplies, that a country or organization uses in order to work effectively) forays and development projects in the islands, an intense strategic partnership, support during the COVID-19 pandemic, and cooperation (the act of working together with someone or doing what they ask you) on the international stage. For India, in a region that sees several elections this year, it is paramount (more important than anything else) to ensure that domestic political changes in the neighbourhood do not change the basic structure of bilateral (involving two groups or countries) ties, or affect regional stability (a situation in which something is not likely to move or change).

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