China-backed conservative Islamic elements responsible for rapid decline in India-Maldives ties, says former envoy

Former Indian High Commissioner to Maldives Dnyaneshwar Manohar Mulay has said that China-backed Islamic conservative faction coming to power in the Indian Ocean Island is responsible for the rapid decline in India-Maldives ties. “Democracy in Maldives is relatively young, in their teens, and it is a question of lack of understanding of the situation as well as the realities of bilateral relations between the two countries, which has triggered this crisis,” Hindustan Times report quoted Mulay as saying. Just a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the newly elected Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, relations between the once-close allies have taken a sharp downturn. The immediate trigger was a series of tweets from three Maldivian ministers criticising PM Modi. They accused him of prioritising the promotion of the Lakshadweep islands during his recent visit, allegedly at the expense of Maldives, and expressed concern about India’s close ties with Israel. Furthermore, the ministers made disparaging remarks about Indians. Although the tweets have been removed, the ministers have been suspended, and the Maldivian government has distanced itself from their statements, the impact on the diplomatic ties between the two nations is already evident. Mulay blamed China for playing a significant role in polluting the minds of the island’s population and providing all the assistance to the conservative elements in the country. “Whenever such developments happen, it is the result of some people, who have been polluting the minds of the island population there and China has played a significant role in doing this. It has been providing all the assistance to the conservative elements in the Maldives and the current regime in Maldives is pro-development but also very conservative,” Mulay told Hindustan Times. “There is an Islamic tilt to their policies and that is why the first visit of President Muizzu was to Turkey and it is unfortunate that the second visit was to China. It is an indication of what the new regime prefers,” he added. Mulay highlighted that President Muizzu aligns with former Maldives President Abdullah Yameen, a prominent anti-India hardliner who held office from 2013 to 2018. Yameen faced a five-year jail term and a USD 5 million fine in 2019 for embezzling USD 1 million in state funds. During Yameen’s presidency, he laid the groundwork for the Chinese debt trap in 2015 and spearheaded the ‘India Out’ campaign. President Muizzu currently pursues this campaign, advocating for the withdrawal of India’s 70 soldiers, who operate India-sponsored radars and surveillance aircraft in the island nation. The former High Commissioner emphasized India’s extensive involvement in the Maldives, spanning areas such as healthcare, education, credit facilities, defense agreements, and various other aspects of bilateral cooperation. Mulay expressed the belief that once the situation stabilises, Maldivians will recognise the challenges in managing their domestic issues, addressing concerns related to climate change, and fulfilling day-to-day requirements. India has played a crucial role in supporting the Maldives since around 1976, going out of its way to provide assistance. He noted that certain segments of the Maldivian population are already expressing concerns, understanding that India serves as the primary responder during times of crisis for the island nation. “The tourism industry has voiced its fears, as have the others,” Mulay said. Asked if China could grab the space if India vacated it in a country regarded as a long-term close ally, Mulay told _Hindustan Times, “_I am sure things would improve, but I will give it another six months to see how things shape up.” In November 1988, Indian troops famously intervened to thwart a coup attempt in the island nation. The attempt was carried out by a group of Maldivians and assisted by armed mercenaries of a Tamil secessionist organisation from Sri Lanka, the Peoples’ Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), to overthrow the government. In the counter-offensive called Operation Cactus, India had thwarted the move, earning it a lot of goodwill. With inputs from agencies