Indian media claimed Modi’s Maldive visit as a diplomatic victory for Modi, which has hurt Chinese media severely. Pro-Chinese media outlet Global Times has made the following analysis about Modi’s visit to the Maldives.
“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $565-million credit line and launched free trade talks with the Maldives on Friday during a visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago. However, Modi’s visit to the Maldives was interpreted by some Indian media outlets as a demonstration of India’s success in eclipsing China’s influence in the Maldives.
Chinese experts criticized such rhetoric, describing it as a reflection of the Indian media’s “outdated” mind-set, which is rooted in a purely adversarial, zero-sum game mentality”
Despite what the Chinese media, including the Global Times, say, the Maldivian president’s India policy has now undergone a major change. The Maldivian president came to power with an ‘India Out’ campaign. He was elected because of the propaganda campaign he carried out against India. As soon as he became president, the he requested Modi to withdraw Indian troops back to India from Maldives, fulfilling the promise he made to the Maldivian people.
Traditionally, the first visit of Maldivian presidents after assuming office is to India, but Maldivian President Muizzu visited China. India saw this as a slap in the face to India. The Indian media said that Modi would teach the Maldive president a lesson, but Modi was patient. He did not react strongly, except to request Indians not to visit the Maldives. When Sri Lanka banned Chinese research ships due to Indian influence, the Maldives allowed the Chinese research ships, ignoring India’s displeasure.
But Modi’s view of Maldives was that of a younger brother who is angry with his older brother and would come back to him after the anger is over. Modi was right. Finally, the Maldivian president went to India to seek Modi’s help in resolving the Maldivian economic crisis. Modi also forgot the old grudge and helped him.
The Maldivian president invited Modi to the Maldivian Independence Day celebration. Modi cordially accepted the invitation. Before Maldivian President Muizzu came to power, the policy of the former Maldivian president was the India First policy. Muizzu came to implement the India Out policy. Now the Indian media reported that the Maldivian president has made a ‘U-turn.’
With the end of Modi’s visit to the Maldives, Sri Lanka’s pro-China JVP leader, President Anura, has gone to the Maldives at the invitation of the Maldivian president. What happened to Anura and to the JVP is the same as what happened to the Maldivian president. They also showed a strong anti-India policy before coming to power.
Anura’s first foreign visit to India and Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka have changed the JVP. Recently, JVP General Secretary Tilvin said that the JVP had detached in 1976 Indian expansionism class from the five JVP classes. Former JVP members say that this is false. The JVP fought against the 1987 Indo-Lanka Pact by saying that the prediction they made in the Indian expansionism class was correct. India and China are watching eagerly what is being uttered within the four walls of Muizzu and Anura, who were charmed by Modi through his diplomatic spell.
