B.RAMAN
The unfortunate cancellation by the Government of
Mohammad Waheed of the Maldives of the contract given to a consortium led by
the GMR, an Indian company, for the running of the Ibrahim Nassir International
Airport highlights our loss of tradional goodwill with a section of the
Maldivian political class due to perceptions that India was trying to take
sides in the political dispute between former President Mohammed Nasheed, who
resigned under controversial circumstances in the beginning of this year, and
his opponents led by Mr.Mohammad Waheed in order to facilitate his return to
power.
2.So long as the Maldivian authorities were sensitive
to our national security interests, we followed a policy of benign
non-involvement in internal political issues. Our national security interests
in the Maldives had primacy over our economic and commercial interests. The
Government of India carefully avoided creating any impression of backing any
Indian business company operating in the Maldives.
3.The traditional goodwill enjoyed by us for nearly
three decades in the Maldives since 1979 when the Government of India responded
positively to a request from Male for assistance in revamping their national
security set-up started dissipating when our perceived backing for the
democracy movement of Mr.Nasheed and the jettisoning of the policy of benign
non-involvement in internal political matters after Mr.Nasheed became the
President created perceptions of Indian political favourites. As a result of
our open and enthusiastic embrace of Mr.Nasheed, he came to be perceived as
India’s prop in Male. Many of his decisions in commercial and national security
matters, which were favourable to India, were projected by his opponents and
detractors as quid pro quo for India’s support to him.
4. After his exit from power, elements associated
with the successor Government have targeted his decisions which they viewed as
his quid pro quo to India. We have already lost considerable goodwill in
political circles in the Maldives. The relations between the two countries have
got mixed up with local partisan politics.
5. To stop a further erosion of the goodwill, it is
important to make a mid-course correction in our Maldivian policy based on a
reversion to the past policy of benign non-involvement in internal political
matters, maintaining cordial relations with all political forces without any
political favourites, avoidance of undue interest in promoting the interests of
any Indian business house and restoration of primacy to national security
matters.
6.Maldives is also a lesson that we should avoid moralizing
political postures like promoting democracy. ( 8-12-12)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd),
Cabinet Secretariat, Govt of India, New Delhi, and presently, Director,
Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For
China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com
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