Messing with India turns expensive for Maldives

Well, well, Maldives has started facing the consequences of its own actions after it made snide remarks on the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently. A wholesome visit to the Lakshadweep islands has caused a feud between the two countries and the fire is nowhere near being extinguished.

The controversy has unfolded as a result of disparaging remarks made by the Deputy Ministers in the Ministry of Youth Affairs—Maryam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Mahzoom Majid—regarding India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following his visit to Lakshadweep. Ms. Shiuna, in a social media post on platform X (now deleted), criticized India’s ties with Israel and made derogatory comments about Prime Minister Modi. Her colleagues joined in, suggesting that the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Lakshadweep aimed to challenge Maldivian tourism, known for its renowned beachside facilities. The inflammatory remarks triggered a social media war, leading to Indian tourists cancelling hotel bookings in the Maldives.

Reacting to the controversy, the Maldivian government, in damage-control mode, distanced itself from the remarks. Knowing full well the negative impact this was going to have on their tourism revenues, the Foreign Ministry immediately took to damage control and emphasized its belief in freedom of expression but stressed the need for responsible exercise. The Ministry clarified that the opinions expressed were personal and did not represent the official views of the Maldivian government. Subsequently, the three Deputy Ministers were suspended. Prominent Maldivians, including former Foreign Minister and ex-President of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid, condemned the comments as “reprehensible and odious.” Shahid called on the government to reprimand the officials, emphasizing the importance of public figures maintaining decorum.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed and ex-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih also criticized the remarks, with Nasheed urging the government to distance itself and provide clear assurance to India that the comments did not reflect official policy. The controversy has added strain to Maldives-India relations, especially in the context of President Muizzu’s previous request for India to withdraw its military presence from the archipelago. India has consistently maintained that its military presence is primarily geared towards providing medical support to the distant islands of the Indian Ocean nation.

Now for a country that has a tourism dependent economy, it is rather shocking that it’s officials would want to alienate tourist that form the bulk of its customers. Now for a country that has a tourism dependent economy, it is rather shocking that it’s officials would want to alienate tourist that form the bulk of its customers. As of last year, with more than 2 lakh tourists that traveled to Maldives, Indians comprised the largest group visiting the island nation, followed by China and Russia.. Many Indian celebrities, in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressed their desire on X by boycotting Maldives and promoting Lakshadweep instead. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has also criticized the Maldivian government and urged his fans to support Indian tourism.

Besides this, Kangana Ranaut also tweeted in support of India.

Salman khan, John Abraham, Shraddha Kapoor and a few others tweeted in favour of India as well.

This boycott by Indian tourists implies a decline in tourism-related revenue, leading to economic challenges for the Maldives. Hotels, resorts, restaurants, and other service providers may experience financial strains due to a drop in bookings and overall tourist spending. The tourism industry is a major employer in the Maldives, providing jobs for a significant portion of the population. A decrease in tourism activity, especially from a key market like India, could result in job losses and a rise in unemployment rates, affecting the livelihoods of many Maldivians. Economic ties and tourism are often interconnected with diplomatic relations. A substantial decline in Indian tourism could strain the diplomatic relationship between the Maldives and India. It may prompt diplomatic interventions and discussions to address the underlying issues and restore confidence between the two nations.

Maldives’ pro India ministers have made comments and in an interview one of the ministers said, “India boycott will hit us hard as the country relies majorly on Indian travellers and the boycott will harm the diplomatic ties in the longer run”. The statement also suggests the importance of diversifying sources of tourism to mitigate the impact of dependency on any specific market. Encouraging tourism from a variety of countries can provide stability and resilience in the face of geopolitical or diplomatic challenges. Rebuilding trust and re-establishing normalcy in tourism flows may take time, even after the diplomatic issues are resolved.

It is time that Maldives’ government realizes that it should do more than just suspending the ministers as Indians are already enraged and any further negative comments can lead to a major change in the relations between two countries. The minister’s statements already indicate that their government is highly worried about the consequences of the boycott campaign. The Indian government is currently focusing on improving the Lakshadweep islands as a tourism site and Mr. Narendra Modi’s recent visit has been very successful as many new initiatives have been taken and a lot of funds are being provided to the region for development of the infrastructure that can handle high volumes of tourists. The Maldivian controversy has made it clear that it is desperate to maintain relations with India as the country’s economic growth might take a big hit if Indians cancel their plans to visit the country.