New Delhi: As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s five-day trip marked a thaw in India’s relations with its southern neighbor, the opposition in Malé sharply criticized Muizzu’s “naive and inexperienced” administration and said it was now has realized that diplomacy cannot be carried out through “lies and deceptions.”
Ties between India and the Maldives have come under severe strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took office in November. Within hours of taking oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. Later, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians.
However, things are now starting to take a positive note as Muizzu came to India for his first bilateral visit and held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu. He has acknowledged that India has consistently proven to be a strong ally of the island nation and has expressed confidence in strengthening bilateral relations.
What did the opposition say about Muizzu?
Relations between the two South Asian nations deteriorated further when two Maldivian ministers mocked Modi for posting photographs of the Lakshadweep Islands in January this year. This led to a call for a mass boycott by Indian tourists, leading to a drop to the number six spot in mid-2024 from the number one spot in the post-COVID years.
Abdulla Shahid, president of the main opposition party, the Maldives Democratic Party (MDP), expressed his happiness at seeing “the old ties between the Maldives and India revived” and thanked India for remaining “firm and resolute with the people of Maldives”. He said he was encouraged to see that projects and initiatives launched during the government of President Ibrahim Solih – considered pro-India – have come to fruition and are continuing.
“What we are seeing is that the current administration is realizing that international relations cannot be based on lies and deception. What we are seeing is the administration’s naivety and inexperience in diplomacy. Hoping that this current trajectory in the relationship with our closest neighbor, friend and partner, continue,” Shahid said.
On the other hand, former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, considered the architect of the strong relationship between India and Maldives during his tenure, also applauded the turn of events. “India and Maldives are natural partners with a lot in common – music, movies, food, culture, history and geography. We should always remain friends. I am very happy to see things falling into place and the relationship mending,” he said on X.
Dozens of social media users also recalled Muizzu’s anti-India remarks and posted screenshots of them with sarcastic messages. “It is now very clear that #IndiaOut was a BLACK LIE used by @Mmuizzu to trick us into voting for him and to SPREAD LIES about @ibusolih’s presidency,” said one user on X.
Muizzu’s desperate appeal to Indians for tourism
As the Maldives faces a severe economic crisis, India extended vital budgetary support to the Maldives government with the extension of a $50 million Treasury Bill for another year. A ‘vision document’ issued after bilateral talks between Modi and Muizzu agreed that India will support Maldives with defense platforms and assets to augment the capabilities of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF).
On Monday, Muizzu made a desperate appeal to Indian tourists to visit Male, his first such statement after two of his ministers sparked a controversy following Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep. “India is one of our largest tourism source markets and we look forward to welcoming more Indian tourists to the Maldives,” President Muizzu said during a joint press conference in New Delhi.
Apart from tourism, the Maldivian president, who is currently on a five-day visit to India, was also hoping to start talks on a free trade agreement. “We hope to conclude a free trade agreement with India that will allow us to realize our full economic potential. Increase Indian investments both in our tourism and in various development sectors.
The Maldivian president said his nation will not act to undermine India’s security and considers New Delhi as a “valued partner and friend”, with cooperation in various fields. Earlier, Muizzu denied having an “India out” agenda, stating that the island nation had a “serious problem” with the presence of foreign militaries on its soil.
(with contributions from the agency)
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