Indian troops begin withdrawing from Maldives after Muizzu's order
India has begun pulling out military personnel from the Maldives, following orders from the island nation's new president, Mohamed Muizzu. According to local media reports, 25 Indian troops, stationed in the southernmost atoll of Addu, left the archipelago before the official withdrawal began on March 10. Last month, Muizzu set March 15 as the deadline for India to pull out all its 89 troops from the archipelago.
Why does this story matter?
Tensions have flared between India and Maldives ever since pro-China Muizzu was elected as the president of the archipelagic nation. Relations hit rock bottom in January after some Maldivian ministers made "derogatory" remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he posted pictures from his recent visit to Lakshadweep. Meanwhile, there is a growing "India out" movement in Maldives, which particularly targets 89 Indian soldiers stationed there to train Maldivian troops in combat, reconnaissance, and rescue-aid operations.
No official statement released from Maldivian, Indian authorities
As per the newspaper report, the three Indian aircraft—two helicopters and one fixed-wing plane—will now be operated by Indian civilian staff who have already arrived there. As of now, no official statement has been released from either the Maldivian or Indian authorities. To recall, Muizzu had built his presidential campaign on the promise of removing Indian troops from the islands. He also made a formal appeal to India to withdraw its soldiers soon after taking office.
Maldives signs military assistance deal with China
Last week, the Maldives signed a "military assistance" deal with China, which is its biggest external creditor. The Maldivian government said the agreement aimed to foster "stronger bilateral ties" and that China would train its staff under the pact. India has expressed concern on China's growing presence in the Indian Ocean and its influence in the Maldives and neighboring Sri Lanka, both strategically located along key east-west international shipping routes.
India bolsters naval forces on Lakshadweep Islands
Amid increasing Maldives-China military cooperation, India announced last month that it was strengthening its naval forces on the Lakshadweep islands, about 80 miles north of the Maldives. Last week, the Navy commissioned its new naval base, INS Jatayu, on Lakshadweep's Minicoy island. While the Navy already had a presence on the island, it will now be reportedly converted into a full-fledged naval base in due course of time.
