With the recent meeting of PM Modi with President Mohammed Muizzu on the sidelines of COP 28 in the UAE, the hard times have seemed to be getting better between both nations, with discussions revolving around diverse sectors, including the military. Muizzu’s approach to foreign policy differs from that of the previous president, Abdulla Yameen, founder of the People’s National Congress (PNC) Party in the Maldives. Muizzu is opting for a more balanced approach rather than aligning closely with a single country. Consequently, it becomes crucial for India to actively build trust among the people in the Maldives to pave the way for positive advancements in bilateral relations.
The island nation had the runoff election on September 30 this year, with President Mohammed Muizzu winning the election. His election tactic was the India Out campaign, through which he won the majority of the votes, defeating the former president Ibrahim Solih of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), who had a pro-India foreign policy stand. Later, after taking office, he ordered the removal of 77 Indian military troops from the island nation as well as the review of over 100 agreements India had with the Maldives. But it is unlikely that the new government will align more with China, even though several new developments have been taking place with China, like the revival of the FTA signed with China in 2017.
The new leader is adopting a diverse approach, seeking support from both major powers and middle powers to contribute to the development of his country. This is evident from his first official visit to Turkey, breaking the tradition of visiting India. However, the responsibility for not visiting India should not solely be attributed to him, as India has not extended an official invitation. The anti-India stance can only be seen as an election tactic for the new leader. At this point, it is important for him to maintain a balanced relationship with different powers in the region, considering the internal party rivalry in the PNC and the splitting of Yameen from the PNC and forming a new party called the People’s National Front (PNF).
Muizzu has mentioned after the election that he is neither pro-China nor anti-India but he is pro-Maldives, which means he will be engaging with diverse countries for the upliftment of the Maldives. Hence, it is important for India to maintain its foothold in the region, especially by gaining the confidence of the Maldivian community.
Nearly every area of Maldivian development has seen Indian involvement, including the construction of healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and connectivity initiatives. India should continue to invest in high-impact community projects in the Maldives. These projects will directly benefit people. Political parties will persist in engaging in politics, but if India manages to earn the trust of its people, this will be sufficient to ensure long-term sustainability by averting the spread of misinformation within the community. This is precisely what occurred with the Indian military troops in the Maldives, where inaccurate information circulated regarding their presence on the island. In reality, they were deployed solely for the purpose of training with helicopters and Dornier aircraft. They even worked under the command of the Maldivian National Defence Force. India needs to address and actively work on the slow completion of projects, not only in the Maldives but also in every other country. This is crucial for gaining the confidence of the general population.
The Maldives is an import-dependent country in terms of food products. During the time of Ibrahim Solih, he had the vision of diversifying their economy to have self-sufficiency focusing on agriculture by giving land to farmers. If the current government also works towards the same goal of empowering their economy, India has a lot to offer them. Conventional agricultural practices in the Maldives face constraints due to factors such as infertile soil, a limited amount of arable land, and the geographic division of the landmass, which inhibits large-scale commercial farming. Given India’s proximity as the immediate neighbour of the Maldives and its ongoing advancements in agricultural technology, India has the potential to offer its expertise in this sector to the Maldives.
India and the Maldives have a lot of potential for cooperation in space technology. In 2022, there were several instances of cooperation and exchanges, including India providing the Maldives with a coastal radar system. India has a robust remote-sensing capability through ISRO, and cooperation in this sector will enable the Maldives to utilise satellite data for applications in environmental monitoring, fisheries management, and disaster management. Further, both countries can collaborate on joint space research programmes to tackle climate change in the Indian Ocean region.
Advancements in people-to-people connectivity are crucial. It should be extended to both the health and education sectors. Given the Maldives’ reliance on expertise from other nations for its service sector, enhancing skills becomes imperative for achieving self-sufficiency. India can contribute by establishing skill enhancement institutes in the Maldives to facilitate this development. Tourism is another area to be leveraged further between both nations. Apart from the existing visa free travel and the frequent flights between India and the Maldives, there is only one cruise from Mumbai to the Maldives operated by Costa Cruise. Exploring a tourism circuit connecting South India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives could elevate tourism to new heights, thereby enriching people-to-people connectivity between these regions.
Given the ongoing changes in the internal political landscape of the Maldives, it is crucial to enhance people-to-people connections. This, in turn, will contribute to the improvement of bilateral relations between India and the Maldives. Increased interaction among individuals will pave the way for enhanced collaboration among political leaders and in foreign policy matters.
Views expressed by the author are personal and need not reflect or represent the views of the Centre for Public Policy Research.
Neelima completed her Post Graduation in MA Geopolitics and International Relations from Manipal Academy of Higher Education. While pursuing her masters she has done her 3 months Internship from the Middle East Institute, New Delhi. After completion of the course she worked for 2 months as IR project Intern at Centre for Public Policy Research, Kochi. She is passionate about research and writing in the field of International Relations. Her Interest areas include West Asia, Indo-pacific, Multilateralism, Global and National Security.