| News Details |
| Maldives : Why is our Foreign Policy so spineless? | | 
Dr. Ved Pratap Vaidik
The arrest of former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed has heated up the politics of Maldives. Nasheed is also a leader of the opposition party of his country, Maldivan Democratic Party. He has been arrested by the President of the present government, Abdul Yameen on account of the fact that following President Nasheed’s orders a senior magistrate was arrested in 2012 which had led to wild protests in the country. The arrest of Nasheed has been done under the anti-terrorist act. It is quite absurd. Nasheed and his spokesperson had appealed to the Government of India for intervention and stall his arrest. Even if he is arrested he should be kept in Bangalore and not in Maldives so that his life is not at risk.
What security can Indian government give to Nasheed? It is so spineless that Indian government did not meet the delegation which had come to India from Maldives on behalf of Nasheed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not have the guts enough even listen to the plea of the delegation. It is scared that the Government of Maldives would get upset over the issue. India and Maldives! Is there any comparison? Shall I tell our Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, what had happened in 1988? It was Rajiv Gandhi’s government at that time. Some obstinate people of Singapore had almost toppled the then President of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayyum. I, then was editor of PTI ‘Bhasha’. As soon as I got this news on the teleprinter of PTI, I rang up the Defence Minister Krishna Chandra Pant. He was in China at that time. He returned immediately. I spoke to American ambassador in Sri Lanka Dr. James Spain. He became my friend when I was doing Ph.D at Columbia University in Newyork. He said whatever you deem as correct, please do that, my government has no objection to it. We sent the army and President Gayyum was saved. The Present President is the brother of this then President Gayyum only. How are they talking about “intervention” of India?
India must get rid of its vagueness in its foreign policy. When Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj went to Maldives in 2014, she did not meet the leaders of the opposition. Does she not know that India’s relations with Maldives grew strongest during the Presidential tenure of Nasheed. Nasheed was getting constructed Maley airport by an Indian company. Yameen’s government scrapped that deal and gave the contract to China. It is surprising that our Foreign Minister’s visit to Maldives with the aim to check met China hesitated in meeting with leaders friendly to India. Dreaming of becoming the super power of South Asia, India has never conducted such submissive foreign policy in its history ever before. I trust that an able Foreign Secretary like Jaishankar would initiate some strong step. The politics of Maldives is taking a new turn. The Jamhoori Party has formed a coalition with Nasheed leaving behind the ruling party. People’s campaign is catching momentum. In such a moment if India lags behind in taking any decision then it would be left with no other option put repentance.
(The author is a well-known Scholar, Political Analyst, Orator and a Columnist on national and international affairs. Dr. Vaidik worked with Press Trust of India for a decade as the Founder-Editor of its Hindi News Agency “BHASHA”, Chairman,
Council For Indian Foreign Policy.Feedback :[email protected])
(Opinions expressed in write-ups/articles/Letters are the sole responsibility of the authors and they may not represent the Scoop News)
[email protected]... |
| |
|
|
Share this Story |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|