Thanks to sustained diplomacy of the patient kind, India may have won over the Maldives. There were plenty of signals of how much the archipelago nation’s outlook towards India has changed as its President Mohamed Muizzu was at hand personally to greet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival even as his people reflected the same warmth at all his engagements, including their national day celebrations. Just a few years ago it appeared as if India’s ‘Neighbours first’ foreign policy was at a nadir as Sri Lanka had drifted into China’s embrace and Maldives appeared to be headed there. Mr Muizzu may have got elected President on an “India Out” slogan with reference to around 90 Indian military personnel who used to help run the medical helicopter ambulance service and maritime surveillance for the multi-islands. He seems to have been won over by India’s sincere helping hand as he referred to India as the “first responder” and “most trusted” partner. India has expanded aid to Maldives much as it had done with Sri Lanka through emergency funding and easy credit to tide over its worst economic crisis. Amid the realisation that playing the China card against India was unlikely to bear fruit in the light of the debt trap that Sri Lanka had fallen into and with China not too willing to help Maldives with easy lending, the swing back to India as a reliable ally has taken place to the benefit of the islanders. There is nothing to stop India’s nearest southern neighbours from playing both sides, but they may have understood that it pays to maintain a more mature balance between the two powers. When ties hit a low, Indians boycotting Maldives as a tourist destination must have hurt. But that too was put behind and India has agreed now to consider debt relief measures for $400.9 million while continuing support for critical infrastructure, including the construction of sea bridges between the capital Male and two islands to offer connectivity to nearly half the population.
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