The Maldives is currently in the news for an Anti-India campaign with the hashtag “India Out” trending on Twitter. But why is the Maldives, an absolute favourite destination amongst Indians, especially Bollywood celebrities, today, having Anti-India sentiments? Well, read on to find out what all this is about.
The Maldives’ Anti-India Protests Started After UTF Harbour Project Announcement
It goes back to February 2021, when India and the Maldives signed an agreement to develop the Uthuru Thilafalhu (UTF) harbour. The Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar tweeted that the UTF harbour project shall strengthen Maldivian Coast guard capability. India also extended a $50 million line credit to the Maldives for defence purchases. The harbour on the Uthuru Thilafalhu will be developed as a dockyard for the Maldivian coast guard. Soon after, a protest began against the Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s government.
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Protesters Believed India May Deploy Military In The Maldives
Protesters believed that his India-friendly policies would lead to an allegation that New Delhi will send a large military contingent to the island destination. Despite the Solih government, repeatedly denying this claim, the Anti-India protests and India-Out campaign hasn’t stopped. The Maldives government repeatedly stated that India will not be deploying any military personnel in the Maldives. India shall only have a maintenance and flight crew that shall operate three Dornier flights to be used for ambulance, rescue and surveillance operations.
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Anti-India Campaign Possibly Sponsored By China
The former President of the Maldives Abdulla Yameen, has been leading the ‘India Out’ campaign. Reports suggest that Yameen’s affinity with China may be a reason. In 2013, when Yameen of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) became president in 2013, the “India-Out” slogan was first coined. China and the Maldives established a close relationship when Yameen was in power. The Anti-India theme died down when Solih became President. After the UTF project was announced once again “India-Out” campaigns have taken place in the Maldives. It’s speculated that China may have possibly funded the campaign. The Foreign Secretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives Abdul Gafoor Mohamed revealed that apart from India many other countries also raised concerns to strengthen security in their embassies in the Maldives.