PM Modi Lakshadweep Visit: A social media controversy was started by a tweet sent out by a Maldivian official a few days after Prime official Narendra Modi visited the Lakshadweep islands. It was believed that PM Modi’s visit to the nation’s smallest Union Territory—36 islands across 32 square kilometers—was an attempt to boost island tourism.
Maldives Minister Claims Deliberate Targeting
The minister said in a tweet that India was deliberately targeting the Maldives and that it would be difficult for India to compete with the Maldives in beach tourism. The tweet was sent out in response to Indian social media users suggesting the island Union Territory as a substitute for the Maldives as a tourism destination following the viral success of PM Modi’s remarks on X (previously Twitter) regarding snorkelling in the Lakshadweep.
Tightening India-Maldives Relations
Since President Mohamed Muizzu took office a few months ago, relations between India and the Maldives have become tight. The President, Muizzu, assumed office in November 2023. He promised to change the Maldives’ “India first” policy and remove a small deployment of about 75 Indian military soldiers in his island nation during the election. According to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry, Muizzu is expected to visit China on Monday. He was invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Hua Chunying, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said on Friday.
Muizzu, a Pro-China President, Takes Helm in Maldives
Considered a pro-China politician, Muizzu assumed office as the eighth President of the Maldives, having defeated his India-friendly predecessor, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, in the presidential runoff. “China and the Maldives boast time-honoured friendship. In the past 52 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have treated each other with respect and supported each other, setting a fine example of equality and mutual benefits between countries of different sizes,” said Wang Wenbin, another spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry.
Muizzu Breaks Tradition with India Visit Delay
Given the close proximity of the Maldives to India and the depth of bilateral ties between the two countries, Muizzu’s predecessors visited India first in the recent past. China, on the other hand, strengthened its influence in the island nation by investing in significant infrastructure projects. December 2023, during the COP28 climate meetings in Dubai, the newly elected president of the Maldives had a meeting with PM Modi. It was decided by both leaders to form a core group to talk about the multifaceted relationships and strengthen bonds.
Muizzu’s Review of 100+ Agreements with India
The meeting also happened after Muizzu chose to review more than 100 bilateral agreements between the two nations and requested that New Delhi remove 77 Indian military soldiers from the Maldives. Hussain Mohamed Latheef, the newly appointed vice president of the Maldives, travelled to China last month for the first time and attended the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation in Kunming, which was sponsored by China.
Silence on BRI
Remarkably, Latheef praised Chinese infrastructure projects but said nothing about China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is responsible for the majority of the infrastructure projects constructed in the Maldives. India’s principal maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean region, the Maldives holds a special position in the country’s efforts, including the ‘Neighbourhood-First Policy’ of the Modi government and SAGAR, or Security and Growth for All in the Region.
Maldives’ Proximity to India’s Lakshadweep
The Maldives has great strategic importance due to its close proximity to India—just 70 nautical miles separates it from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the western coast of the mainland—as well as its location at the intersection of commercial sea lanes that cross the Indian Ocean.
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