An Ally in Need: How India has always been the ‘first responder’ to Maldives

India and the Maldives are embroiled in a spat after three now-suspended Maldivian ministers made derogatory posts against Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his visit to Lakshadweep last week. Facing calls for a travel boycott by some social media users in India, the Maldives is now on damage control mode.The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) on Monday (8 January) “strongly” condemned the offensive remarks, calling India one of Maldives’ “closest allies” and the “first responder” in times of crises. “India has also been a consistent and significant contributor to the Tourism Industry of the Maldives. A contribution that has greatly assisted our recovery during COVID-19, right after we re-opened our borders. Since then, India has continued to remain one of the top markets for the Maldives,” the statement read.India is one of the biggest sources of tourism for the Indian Ocean nation, whose economy relies heavily on the sector. The latest row has put focus on the traditionally close ties between New Delhi and Male. However, the relations have taken a turbulent turn since the Maldivian president, Mohamed Muizzu, came to power last November.Let’s take a closer look at how India has always been a ‘friend’ to the Maldives.Thwarting coup attemptThe Maldives was able to prevent a coup attempt on 3 November 1988 due to Indian military's intervention. A Maldivian group led by businessman Abdullah Luthfee with the help of a Sri Lankan militant organisation tried to overthrow the government in Maldives.However, India’s “prompt assistance” saved the government of the then President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in the Maldives. This led to the “development of trust and long-term and friendly bilateral relations with the Maldives,” according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).Bilateral ties, defence cooperationIndia was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the Maldives after its independence in 1965. The island nation, which is globally popular for its blue waters and pristine beaches, is strategically placed in the middle of the Indian Ocean. New Delhi sees the Maldives as critical in its attempt to dampen China’s influence in the Indian Ocean region.As per News18, several Maldivian officials have also been trained in India in various institutes as part of a knowledge-sharing arrangement.India is seen as a “net security provider” in the Maldives. Defence and security have been a “major area of cooperation” between the two neighbours. India and the Maldives signed a comprehensive Action Plan for Defence in April 2016 to bolster this defence partnership.[caption id="attachment_13592992" align="alignnone" width="640"]

A general view shows people at a beach in Maldives' Hulhumale on 26 December 2023. AFP File Photo[/caption]India offers the largest number of training opportunities for the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), accounting for 70 per cent of their defence training requirement, according to MEA. India has trained over 1,500 MNDF personnel in the last 10 years, along with providing equipment to the force for air surveillance.A small contingent of Indian troops is present in the Maldives to operate aircraft for medical evacuation and to help countering drug trafficking and other maritime crimes. President Muizzu, who won the election in September on an “India out” campaign, said last month that India has agreed to withdraw its military personnel from the Maldives.ALSO READ: How President Mohamed Muizzu’s politics may hurt the island nation beyond tourismDevelopment projects, financial aidIndia is involved in a series of development projects in the Maldives. New Delhi has provideda $100 million grant and a $400 million Line of Credit for the island nation’s largest-ever infrastructure project. The Greater Male Connectivity Project will see a 6.74 km-long bridge to connect the capital Male with three adjoining islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.India is also helping the Indian Ocean nation in developing Addu as the southern regional hub of Maldives. Another key project is the Gulhifalhu Port project which aims to shift the congested Malé Commercial Harbour and warehousing from the Maldivian capital to Gulhifalhu Island.New Delhi is also engaged in the redevelopment of airports in Hanimaadhoo and Gan. India granted over Rs 200 crore for setting up the National College for Police and Law Enforcement (NCPLE) in the Maldives.In December 2018, India announced a financial assistance package of US$ 1.4 billion, including US$ 50 million as budgetary support to the Maldivian government.India also provided funds for a project to impart ICT training to Maldivian teachers and youth. The Indian government is supporting the construction of a cricket stadium in Hulhumale, along with building a 100-bed cancer hospital on the island under the USD 800 million Line of Credit that was extended to the Maldives in 2019.In November 2022, New Delhi provided financial assistance of USD 100 million as budgetary support to help ease the financial challenges faced by the archipelago.ALSO READ: How PM Modi’s visit has been a blessing to Lakshadweep‘First responder’India has swung to action whenever the island nation has faced troubles, be it during COVID-19 or any natural disaster.New Delhi helped the island nation wade through the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami as well as the water crisis in 2014. In December 2014, India sent “water aid” to Male, after a fire destroyed the generator of its biggest water treatment plant.The Centre dispatched 30,000 doses of measles vaccine to the Maldives in January 2020 to prevent an outbreak.In March of that year, India sent a COVID-19 ‘relief team’ comprising pulmonologists, anesthetists, physicians and lab technicians as a humanitarian gesture to the Maldives. The government also gifted essential medicines to the island nation despite a ban on exports then.

India evacuated nine Maldivian nationals from China’s Wuhan at the time. Even though most of the countries had closed off their borders to foreigners in the wake of the pandemic, India allowed 37 seriously ill Maldivian patients to travel to Kochi in Kerala for treatment, reported News18. In January 2021, the Maldives became the first country to receive COVID-19 vaccines from India. In February of that year, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar handed over 1,00,000 additional doses of the vaccine to the Maldives. More vaccines were sent in March as well.India, which became the third-largest trade partner of the Maldives in 2021, has been an all-weather ally of the island nation. We will have to wait and watch whether the current rift in relations will be resolved quickly or become a thorn between the two nations.With inputs from agencies