Having played a stupendously bad hand in the diplomatic game with Maldives a year ago, when former President Mohamed Nasheed was ousted in a coup, India has been given a rare second chance to get its priorities right in the Indian Ocean island, writes Venky Vembu for India’s Firstpost publication.
On Wednesday, Nasheed sauntered into the Indian High Commission in Male and sought refuge there from imminent detention by the police. An arrest warrant had been issued in his name for failing to appear before a local court in connection with events that preceded the coup that displaced him in 2012.
India has done right by giving Nasheed shelter, even at the risk of incurring the wrath of the government of President Mohammed Waheed, which is now preparing to use “non-lethal chemical agents” to disperse Nasheed’s supporters outside the Indian High Commission. Police are gathered in force outside the Indian High Commission, waiting to nab Nasheed, should he step out.
The situation is very volatile, and although the court appears to have rescinded the requirement for Nasheed to appear before it, it seems clear that the government is hell-bent on ensuring that Nasheed, who retains immense mass popularity even a year after his ouster, does not get to contest the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for 7 September.
On Wednesday, a statement issued by India’s external affairs ministry also signaled its support for Nasheed’s candidacy in the election, and urged the Maldivian government not to disqualify candidates – as that would impinge on perceptions of how free and fair the elections are. The Maldivian government has responded petulantly, urging India to respect Maldives’ judiciary and not interfere in internal political matters. The gloves, it appears, are coming off.
All these expressions of Indian solidarity with Nasheed come as a sharp contrast to the events of a year ago, when India ended up backing the wrong horse. It gave tacit backing to Mohammed Waheed, the coup leader, who replaced Nasheed, the island’s first democratically elected leader.
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India has no rights to meddle with our internal affairs and they can not do anything. There are other nations watching too and India can not invade us.
Nasheed will be Punished for the crimes he committed during ruling period and he should not be allowed to work out freely.
He the man who is creating all the violence he is the man who gave airport to gmr after taking huge bribes and he is the who locked the supreme court and he is the man who has given public money outside the regulation to his party members
He resigned himself a year back knowing that his popularity was going down drastically and he had no choice but step down and start to finger point some else for for the cause
He is a big lier and big time failure
Really confused about the situation out there...
It is better to ask China to come & help them out so that they can do a North Korea on the islands...
communist impearlism is a living reality for countries not smart enough to stick to democracy...
Internal mess needs to be cleared internally...can't keep washing dirty linen in public....
India please go to hell!!
You have no right to interfere in our matters cux we r a seperate independent nation...INDIA SUCKXX
Who Nasheed to give a chance to India to interfere with our domestic issues which are created by Nasheed himself.
I believe it is something that is inherited from his family to bring foreign perpetrators to the country and then try to sell our sovereign rights to others.
The real BAAGHEES" are Nasheed and his family and his friends