The media reported on Tuesday that Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu’s stand against India has grown stronger. He has said that no Indian military personnel, even those dressed as civilians, will be allowed in his country after May 10.
Not long ago, a civilian Indian team went to the Maldives to take over one of the three aviation platforms there. This news from Muizzu comes soon after.
His action happened a long time before the agreed-upon March 10 deadline for the withdrawal of Indian military troops, which made things worse between the two countries.
A news website called Edition.mv reported that the President told the Baa atoll Eydhafushi residential community that people who spread false rumors are trying to change the situation because his government was successful in getting Indian troops out of the country.
“That these people [Indian military] are not leaving, that they are coming back after taking off their uniforms and putting on regular clothes.” The portal quoted Muizzu, who is seen as a pro-China leader, as saying, “We must not give in to thoughts that make us doubt ourselves and spread lies.”
“By May 10, there will be no Indian troops in the country.” Not in dress and not in everyday clothes. The Indian troops will not be living in this country without any clothes on. “I am sure of this,” he said on the same day that his country signed a deal with China to get free military help.
The Maldivian and Indian governments met in Delhi on February 2 for high-level talks. On March 10, the Maldivian foreign ministry stated that India would replace the military staff in charge of the three aviation platforms in the Maldives by May 10.
In addition, it was said that the first part of this change would be finished by March 10. It’s important to note that the Maldives President said the same thing in his inaugural speech to Parliament on February 5.
There are 88 military troops working on the three Indian platforms that have been helping people in the Maldives get medical care and supplies for the past few years using two helicopters and a Dornier plane.
Muizzu came to power last year on a platform of being against India. Within hours of taking office, he told India that its people should leave the strategically placed group of islands in the Indian Ocean.
Edition.mv also said that the Indian soldiers who are in charge of the two helicopters in Addu City will be the first to leave the country. The soldiers who are in Haa Dhaalu atoll Hanimaadhoo and Laamu atoll Kahdhoo are also expected to leave before May 10.
India decided to pull their troops out of the Maldives as long as the government sent enough civilians to run the planes to make up for the military presence.
There has been criticism of the government from the opposition, which says that the Indians sent to the Maldives as civilians are actually military troops not wearing uniform, and the government has no way to know this, the portal said.
Local news outlets have also said that the Maldives and Sri Lanka have agreed to work together to run planes for medical evacuations. This event shows that the country is determined to get rid of all Indian troops, no matter what kind they are.
In addition to saying that getting real independence is the most important thing to him, the President said that the State is working hard to “regain the southern maritime area that was taken away from the country” and to get Indian troops out of the Maldives.
“I am sure that we can do this. The bad practices used during the implementation caused the delay in finishing this job. The President told the site, “It was done without even bringing it to the attention of the parliament, which is against the Constitution as well.”
Since the Maldives is only 70 nautical miles from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the western coast of mainland India, it is very important from a military point of view. Being in the middle of the commercial sea routes that go through the Indian Ocean area (IOR), it is very important to the way the area works.
India has long seen the Maldives as an important naval neighbor in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It has a special place in Indian programs like SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the area) and the Neighbourhood First Policy, which shows how close the two countries are and how much they care about the area.
