Relevance: GS-2 : India and its neighborhood- relations.

Key Phrases : India Out protests ,Political Factions ,Polarising Political Issue ,Maldivian Democratic Party ,Lhaviyani Atoll , Uthuru Thila Falhu harbour development deal , India First Foreign Policy ,Friendly Big Neighbour.

Why in News ?

• The Maldives government has recently decided to ban the ‘India Out’ protests.
• It shows how the campaign, which started as an online protest by critics of the Ibrahim Solih administration, has grown into a polarising political issue in the Indian Ocean island nation with which India has deep ties.

Growth in India Maldives Relations :

• Mr. Yameen, who served two years in jail after losing power in 2018, wanted a strong political narrative to make a comeback, particularly as the country heads to its presidential election in 2023.
• Opposition termed the Solih administration “a puppet of New Delhi”, accusing it of allowing an Indian military presence, thereby compromising the country’s sovereignty — an allegation the government has repeatedly denied.
• Mr. Yameen has organised several political rallies, openly attacking the government’s ties with India.
• When Mr. Yameen was in power, he was largely seen as a friend of China. His government’s ultimatum to India to withdraw two of its helicopters from two atolls had triggered tensions.
• But relations between the two countries improved remarkably after Mr. Solih’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) came to power in 2018.

Current state of India and Maldives Relations :

1. India First Foreign policy :
   • President Solih adopted an ‘India first’ foreign policy.
   • In the past four years, India has emerged as the Maldives’s main security and economic partner, committing $1.4 billion towards its socio-economic development needs.
2. Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTH) harbour development deal :
   • In February 2021, India signed the Uthuru Thila Falhu (UTH) harbour development deal with Male to develop the National Defence Force Coast Guard Harbour.
   • The Indian and Maldivian governments maintain that the Uthuru Thila Falhu facility will help Maldives surveil its waters better.
   • The harbour would enable the Maldivian government to protect its maritime interests on its own thereby enhancing its sovereignty.
3. Friendly Big Neighbour :
   • India has historically played an important role in the Maldives as a friendly big neighbour.
   • To wean Maldives away from Chinese loans, India extended it financial assistance and has undertaken massive infrastructure projects.
   • India’s profile and presence in Maldives has grown remarkably in recent years.

What are the Challenges associated with the Relations ?

1. Anti-Indian sentiments of opposition Parties :
   • The Yameen camp stepped up its attack on the government after this deal.
2. China Factor:
   • China’s rise in the Indian Ocean region has raised the strategic profile of Maldives where both countries vied for influence.
   • Now, while Mr. Yameen is trying to regain his lost support by shoring up Maldivian nationalism and anti-India sentiments, the MDP is trying to counter it with another nationalist narrative.
   • It argues that ties with India, the closest big neighbour of the Maldives, is important for the country’s security, including food security.
   • The country signed on to China’s Belt and Road Initiative and borrowed heavily from China for infrastructure projects.
3. Victory not guaranteed for MDP :
   • It faces anti-incumbency problems and differences between Mr. Solih and the powerful former President Mohamed Nasheed.
   • If it loses, India risks losing the influence it has built over the last few years.
   • The challenge before India is to build closer ties with all political factions of the Maldives while helping the country meet its economic and security requirements.
4. Whirlpool of the Indian Ocean archipelago’s domestic politics :
   • Former President Abdulla Yameen, who is leader of the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), said that if his party returned to power in elections next year, his government would cancel all agreements with India.
   • Under existing agreements, he claimed, Indian military vessels could enter the Maldives’ Exclusive Economic Zone by simply informing Maldivian authorities rather than seeking their permission.

What are the Opposition government views ?

• Critics claim that the pact undermines Maldivian sovereignty as Indian soldiers are allegedly being stationed in Maldives.
• They view the agreement as a ruse for India to operate a naval base in Maldives.
• The agreement, Yameen said at the India Out event at Naifuru, has “hidden parts.”
• The MDP government, he alleged, “is trying to prevent those hidden details from coming out.”

Conclusion :

• While these two narratives would clash in the coming election, India, being the center of the political wrangling, would find itself in a difficult situation.
• The challenge before India is to build closer ties with all political factions of the Maldives while helping the country meet its economic and security requirements.
• The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region and the bilateral defence and security ties have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years.
• India ,thus,should construct ties with all political factions of the Maldives whereas serving to the nation meets its wants in order to maintain and strengthen the bilateral relations.

Source : The Hindu

Mains Question :

Q. The challenge before India presently is to build closer ties with all political factions of the Maldives while helping the country meet its economic and security requirements. Analyse in context of the recent India Out protests by the Maldivian opposition government. (250 words ).