Despite the tense relationship between New Delhi and Male, a delegation from the Maldives Navy is participating in the 12th edition of the MILAN naval exercise, which is currently underway in Visakhapatnam from February 19 to 27. This decision is said to have resulted from two rounds of high-level core group meetings between the two nations. According to a top official of the Indian Navy, India has been the primary contributor to assistance in the Maldives. India remains a steadfast friend to the Maldives without expecting anything in return, regardless of the political situation in Male. “Any remaining disputes will be addressed through diplomatic channels,’ he said while speaking to BharatShakti’s correspondent on the sidelines of the Milan exercise in Vizag.
India has significantly saved lives in the Maldives, primarily through medical evacuations, commonly known as MEDEVACs. Since 2018, Indian Navy personnel have conducted over 500 MEDEVACs, directly contributing to rescuing 524 Maldivian lives. Specifically, 132 MEDEVACs were executed in 2023, 140 in 2022, and 109 in 2021, according to the Indian Navy’s data. Despite this significant humanitarian assistance, the newly elected Maldivian President is pushing for the prompt withdrawal of Indian Navy assets. He has adamantly refused to utilise them, even at the potential expense of citizens’ lives, amid ongoing high-level bilateral discussions.
A few weeks ago, a devastating incident occurred in a Maldivian village, impacting the family of a 14-year-old boy. Afflicted with a brain tumour, the child suffered a stroke on January 20, and due to the inability to be promptly evacuated to Male for crucial medical assistance, he tragically lost his life. The poignant aspect of this tragedy lies in the fact that the Maldivian government possessed Dornier aircraft and Advanced Light Helicopters provided by the Indian government, which were readily available and requested by both the family and hospital authorities. Despite these resources being at hand, the Maldivian President inexplicably refused their use. The loss of an innocent life deeply saddened the local community, who criticised the Maldivian government for letting the anti-India stance take priority over life.
Strategic Collaboration: India’s Integral Role in MNDF Training and Operations
For decades, India has served as a steadfast partner for the Maldives in developing human resources across various sectors. Due to its limited population, isolated island geography, and numerous resource challenges, the Maldives faces a shortage of skilled human capital. Numerous Maldivian youths pursue higher education in Indian universities annually. Since 2019, over 2500 Maldivians have visited India for in-person training programs.
The Indian expatriate community in the Maldives, numbering around 27,000, includes professionals such as doctors, nurses, paramedics, and individuals engaged in maritime activities, all working in collaboration with the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF). In 2023, 122 missions were conducted, while 152 and 124 missions took place in 2021 and 2020, respectively. The MNDF actively participates in joint initiatives with Indian Defence forces, including joint Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) patrols, joint exercises, anti-narcotic operations, and Search and Rescue (SAR) missions.
India has played a pivotal role in meeting approximately 70% of the MNDF’s defence training requirements, offering the largest number of training opportunities. Over the past decade, India has trained around 1500 MNDF trainees, with MNDF officers receiving training in premier defence academies in India.
Contrasting Approaches: Chinese Loans vs. Indian Grants in Maldives
The Maldivian President recently visited China for more loans. Unlike China, which doles out loans and leads nations to debt traps, the Indian model has been functioning on grants and lines of credit in Maldives. The Indian lines of credit have never adopted “a knife on the neck” approach wherein the nation availing loan is forced to cede territory or facility to the loaning country.
The World Bank, in an October 2023 report, issued a warning against deepening ties with China, citing potential trouble for the Maldives. The country’s existing debt of US$1.37 billion to China constitutes approximately 20% of its public debt. China is the Maldives’ largest bilateral creditor, surpassing Saudi Arabia’s US$124 million and India’s US$123 million. The World Bank report highlighted that Male has already spent US$162.3 million on interest payments from January to August 2023, marking a 15% increase from the previous year and significantly exceeding the annual average of US$85 million between 2014 and 2019.
The report emphasised concerns about a “build-up of sovereign exposure” during the pandemic, noting a “lack of domestic investment opportunities” despite appeals for additional Chinese funding. It pointed out that the island of Feydhoo Finolhu, leased by China until 2066 in exchange for the loan provided, exemplifies China’s swift utilisation of such leases.
Engaging in self-destructive actions, especially at the expense of innocent citizens who bear no connection to personal political ambitions, is an act of vanity. When this is done, it could be perceived as bordering on villainy. Out of the Maldives’s roughly 400 doctors, approximately 150 are of Indian origin, and a significant number of paramedics also hail from India. Furthermore, Indians constitute around 25% of all teachers in the Maldives, with the majority, around 95%, holding middle and senior-level positions among the approximately 1700 foreign teachers in the country. The relatively small Indian Navy contingent, consisting of some 70 persons, plays a crucial role alongside teachers, unskilled workers, various professionals, and business community members in Maldivian lives.
Ravi Shankar, Vizag
