“boycott Maldives” is trending in X (Twitter). Maldivian ministers and elected officials are tweeting at India, claiming that the practice of using the restroom outside is part of their national culture and is being carried to the West. Maldives-level beauty is unattainable by India. Is it true, though? Take in these vistas, the stunning beaches, the pristine skies, and the even more pristine oceans. You might initially believe it to be Thailand, Mauritius, or the Maldives.
However, this is indeed our India. The best-kept secret in India is Lakshadweep. A few days ago, pictures of our prime minister from Lakshadweep went viral. He was seen snorkelling in the crystal-clear seas there and making an announcement about an investment of Rs. 1,156 crore for Lakshadweep’s development. The Maldivian administration is suffering from this, which is why they are saying these things. Remind yourself that they are real ministers and officials, not just trolls. What issue do they have with the progress of India? In actuality, this post was a geopolitical masterwork rather than merely an Instagram post.
A reminder of the hard and soft power of India. Since China and the Maldives are at risk from having Lakshadweep in India, the region is vital to India. Let’s see how India is accomplishing two goals at once.
Chapter 1: India against the Maldives. The Maldives recently completed elections, and Muhammad Muizu is the new leader of the country. He now holds a negative view of India. hostile to India? What does that signify? Additionally, he issued a statement after taking office as President. I’ll see to it that there isn’t any foreign military presence in this nation.
In actuality, this promise alone helped him win the election. ‘India Out’ is the moniker of his campaign. The President who came before him was India’s close buddy. He was aware of the fact that the Maldives is a tiny nation in Asia. Since India is the nearest country to the Maldives, it can assist them in times of need and has already done so.
In 2014, we gave them free water via Operation Paani. We were the first nation to take this action. During COVID, we also administered vaccinations to them, again without asking for anything in return. What then is the issue? A portion of our armed forces are currently in the Maldives. What is the number that you are aware of? Make an educated guess.
There are only 75 answers. Not 7,500, not 7,5,000, but only 75. Why are there soldiers present here? India first gave the Maldives some helicopters in 2009, and then some aircraft. The purpose of our military people is to maintain this military hardware.
We also created a radar for them in order to secure their borders. The military personnel are present because we created that radar and were granted authorization to use it for the ensuing thirty years. A reasonable query now emerges. Do India’s 75 soldiers seek to rule over the half-million-person Maldives? Not at all! We do not know what kind of threat these soldiers represent to the Maldives. If you do comprehend, do let us know in the comments so that we can learn more. However, the usage of terms such as “foreign military personnel” during elections helps win votes since it instills dread in the minds of voters.
That is why Muizu adopted this strategy. And as soon as he got elected, a formal notice was also sent to India, Withdraw your soldiers, we do not need them. When Modi Ji uploaded photos and videos of Lakshadweep, the Government of Maldives was shocked. Remember, there was no mention of Maldives anywhere here. It’s simple. Can’t the Prime Minister of India go to any location in India and ask the people of India to visit there? There was no need to feel bad for Maldives in this.
Nevertheless, they began tweeting in this manner. Subsequently, our people began chanting “Boycott Maldives.” Naturally, we cannot predict how far this will go in the future, but even so, you may see the sentiment of modern Indians from this. Why are the Maldives so crucial? Let’s examine the map to gain an understanding. The Indian Ocean is a major global trading route. This area is traversed by numerous major marine routes. India decides to put its neighbors first.
In the Indian and Arabian Seas, our Navy engages in pirate warfare. This rescue footage must have been shown to you a few days ago. But since China is no longer the only Asian superpower, India’s expanding influence poses a challenge to China’s grand strategy of domination. Of course, in terms of technology, we are unable to compete with China today, but China wants to stop us before we can advance. The Maldivian President typically visits India first after taking office.
It’s almost like a custom now. However, Muizu defied convention this time. He traveled to Turkey first, and now he is headed to China.
This implies that they have rejected India twice. In actuality, they gain the most from India. India offers them both business and necessities from India. Indians make up the majority of visitors to the Maldives. An Indian makes up one in every four tourists. The Maldives’ economy is centered on tourism. Together, tourism and fishing account for 40% of their GDP. We provided them with a 50 million dollar line of credit when they needed to develop radars to defend the Maldives.
But putting all of this aside, the Maldives is trending closer to China. Several of you may be wondering why China is brought up in so many of our videos. The more one reads about China, the more their evil grand scheme becomes apparent. This is how China acts. Let’s first learn about India’s secret weapon before we discuss China.
Why Lakshadweep island not Maldives
Chapter 2: India’s Secret Weapon. Alright, enough about the Maldives; let’s return to India. One of India’s eight union territories is Lakshadweep.Only ten of the 36 idyllic islands in this paradise are inhabited, although it is only 360 kilometers from Kerala.
These islands are all rather little. Andriot Island, at just 4.66 kilometers in length and 1.43 kilometers in width, is the largest of these islands. The smallest union territory in India is called Lakshadweep. The island is 97% covered in forest, which makes it a fragile ecological area.
There are only 64,000 people living here, and over 90% of them are tribe members. Here, tourism began in 1994, although it was limited to one island. The natives and tribes owned all of the remaining islands. In addition, Lakshadweep serves as a significant naval base.
Chapter 3: The India Master Plan. India is now spending Rs. 1,156 crores on major initiatives in Lakshadweep, including internet, broadband, drinking water, ferry services, and ecotourism. Although Lakshadweep is currently making headlines, this does not imply that its development is motivated by retaliation against the Maldives.
Planning for it had begun a long time ago. Let’s take a little look back. It relates to 2018. The main goal of the conference, which was held on August 10, 2018, by NITI Aayog, was to enhance eco-tourism on the islands of Andaman and Lakshadweep while keeping in mind the goals of sustainable development.
With the exception of tribal territories, NITI Aayog expected for development to occur elsewhere. Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep, two UTs, were discussed in this. You may be familiar with the television series Kala Paani, in which people infiltrate tribal lands for development purposes, norms are disregarded, and ultimately we pay the price for it.
The show is excellent, but we must acknowledge that the individuals in NITI Aayog are professionals. Only after years of investigation and study are things accepted, and only after an analysis of the current state of affairs and potential risks are actions done.
This master plan is divided into various packages, or stages. Package One will see the development of Andaman Islands Avenues, Long, Smith, and Ross Islands. Furthermore, Bangaram, Cherium, Minicoy, Suheli, and Tinnakara of Lakshadweep would be developed in the second package. This location will see the launch of 11 anchor tourism projects that will serve as the hub for the growth of the ecotourism sector. The phrase “eco-tourism” is significant in this context since it frequently illustrates how development and the environment serve opposing purposes.
The two start playing tug of war with one other. Development will not occur if we pick the environment, and environmental destruction will result if we select development. Nonetheless, a thorough study on this was released in 2019. The government intends to create 100 of these tourist-friendly islands within India in the near future.
Moving on, a tender for ₹800 crore was released in 2021 for 370 floating villas. Recall that 23% of visitors to the Maldives are Indian, accounting for 1/4 of the total. Imagine the Maldives closing down if all these tourists discover a better, more affordable option in India.
Chapter 4: Maldives under the sovereignty of China. Please remember that there is more to this video than just travel. Maldives is posing a threat to India despite its modest size. Without significant assistance, this is not achievable. China didn’t realize the Maldives’ strategic significance until 2008. The Maldives’ geographic location is its greatest asset. Examine this map. China is endowed with everything except oil. China purchases oil from Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations. This route is used to deliver all of these commodities.
China’s trade will suffer if the Maldives continues to assist India and relations between the two countries worsen tomorrow. This is because all Chinese exports flow via the Maldives. You must be aware of China’s “String of Pearls” theory, according to which China is strategically investing in India in order to influence and meddle in that country’s elections. India is encircled by it on all sides of the ocean. We have included a detailed explanation of this video in case you’re interested in knowing more.
Small nations like the Maldives depend on China, and China’s connections with the island nations of the Indian Ocean are getting better every day. The Maldives was formerly included in the list of Least Development Countries, or LDCs, but it has since been removed.
This means that foreign groups have realized the Maldives no longer require as much of our assistance now that they are slowly developing. How will development proceed if there is a drop in foreign help, or incoming money? China seized the opportunity to establish new strategic ties with the Maldives as a result.
China-Maldives Friendship Bridge is this. 2018 saw its public opening. It will cost 200 million dollars in total, all of which will come from loans from China. In a similar vein, China and the Maldives inked free trade agreements in 2017. Alright, the Maldives is a little nation. Their GDP is only $5 billion in total. Furthermore, just their debt to China accounts for one-fifth of their GDP. The Maldives will soon find itself ensnared in China’s financial trap. Okay, so what’s the verdict? One, the String of Pearls idea is being reinforced by China.
Two, China is giving the Maldives all of the funding it needs to develop. Three, growing anti-Indian sentiment is helping the Maldives win elections. This implies that the Maldivians concur with the current anti-Indian sentiment.
Thus, in order to ensure that our security is independent of Maldivian politics, it is crucial that India develop Lakshadweep rather than using the Maldives as a tool of blackmail. The Indian Ocean should continue to have a significant Indian presence. We should develop Lakshadweep and turn it become a stunning alternative to the Maldives for Indians so that we can proudly post images of this area and no other, and declare, “This is my India.”
Chapter 5: Conclusion. The phrase “boycott Maldives” must have come to your attention at the opening of this video, but let me explain: the money is yours, you can travel to any nation, and you can use it however you see fit. But consider this: why do you wish to provide enormous sums of money to the citizens of the region where the president is elected by the India Out campaign? Now let’s ask a question.
I’ll ask myself, and you should too. Why do places like Lakshadweep and the Andaman Islands not immediately spring to mind when we think of beach vacations? Why do we usually picture Mauritius, Thailand, and the Maldives? Certainly, a passport bearing stamps from several nations looks good. Sharing these kinds of images on Instagram appears to be in style—in fact, it is. We’re not perfect either. How could you not enjoy traveling abroad? The issue, though, is that we don’t appreciate what is right next to us.
We overlook what is lovely and affordable, hygienic and excellent, and then we ask ourselves, Why don’t more people visit India? How would foreigners be able to recognize the beauty of our nation if we refuse to acknowledge it? That is the reality. Some travel overseas, while some want to create the illusion that they are somewhere else.
I’m not sure what patriotism is. However, patriotism is easy for me. Think of the nation as your home. Invite people in the nation in the same manner that you would decorate your home for Diwali, invite friends who share your interests, and keep your home tidy. Let’s make some adjustments. Reminding ourselves that both the planet and our nation are beautiful is important.
We strengthen India’s brand when we showcase this nation’s beauty to the world. India is the century of the twenty-first century, and we share a role in geopolitics with our leaders. We are independent thinking leaders.
Since geopolitics begins with the leaders, only these little acts of yours will have an impact on the ground. Let’s agree on one thing: we shall be just as enthused about travel to India as we are about travel elsewhere. Promote growth and enhance the nation’s reputation.
Also read:Visa free countries for Indian, 58 countries grant visa free for Indians
Also read: Japan earthquake triggers tsunami warning: What is a tsunami, why does it keep forming in the island count
2 thoughts on “Why Indian’s are boycotting Maldives. Will India can grow super fast in tourism.”