Feature: A few days back, “Boycott Maldives” trended due to hateful comments directed at the sitting Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Not only politicians, celebrities, and producers, but even the common public turned against Maldives. The backlash was so intense that even the Maldives minister issued an apology, and three sitting ministers faced restrictions due to their offensive comments.
India has historically provided one-sided assistance to the Maldives, and the island nation has consistently benefited from Indian investments. However, the current president, Mohammad Mizzu, won the election with the slogan ‘India out,’ and this sentiment has persisted. The anti-India trend gained momentum with hate speech from Maldivian ministers.
Despite controversies and boycotts, India continued to aid the Maldives. Last year’s development assistance to the Maldives amounted to ₹400 crore, and even after the disputes, India extended support with a budget of ₹770 crore this year.
The question arises: Why is India still helping the Maldives despite the controversies and hate speeches? What motive does India have? Amid protests from within the Maldives and the sitting government facing resistance, the people of Maldives are already discontented. However, India’s assistance remains an indispensable need for this island nation. Turning towards China, which lacks friends and operates with a policy of reciprocal benefits, is a precarious option. China’s approach revolves around “if we give, we’ll take double,” and this reality is no secret.
India’s assistance is grounded in two key concepts: aiding its neighbor to maintain good relations and preventing China from making the Maldives its next Sri Lanka.
