India’s Unwavering Stance for Maldives Remains Solid Since1988 Coup d’état

Authors: Srimal Fernando and Pooja Singh

On the early morning hours of 3rd November in 1988, 100 Mercenaries belonging to the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE)group directly attacked the shows of Capital Male ‘. Slowly and stubbornly, the Tamil mercenaries from PLOTE began to make in roads. Around 4:15 am, the Tamil Eelam mercenaries took over the Maldivian Television and radio stations. When the great crisis broke in Male, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) did their best to help in securing the headquarters, although this was not without resistance. Ultimately, Shaheedh Corporal Hussein Adam was a Maldivian soldier who died while defending the defence force headquarters during the coup d’état on that day. Few hours later, the coup failed leaving behind 19 dead.

During the crisis, the rational national security choices were not made by the single decision maker only. Then Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom presidency, the Maldivian Defense forces and the Maldivian Foreign Minister Fathullah Jameel coordinated with India and Sri Lanka asking for their support. Highlights following   the event was far more than what is described.  The   blatant attack on3rd November1988 on Maldives   angered western nations. There was very little doubt that India’s role   was essential for gaining the upper hand. India was the first   South Asian country to signal   its willingness to assist    the   Maldives.  A large contingent of the   Indian army   paratroopers arrived on Hulhule island   in few hours after the appeal from President Gayoom. With the combination of these security strategies, on that night the operation named as the Operation Cactus started. Although the siege on Male was over, the battle itself was far from won.  The unprecedented   failed attempt to overthrow the Maldives government saw the mercenaries fleeing with27 hostages. The    Indian navy captured the highly skilled fleeing PLOTE mercenaries off the Sri Lankan coast. Maldives with the support of India was able to control the crisis in the darkest hours of the Maldives’s recent political history.

Thirty years later, after years of bitter wrangling with President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom on 23 September 2018 the opposition came   in to power.  Hence, one month after this resounding victory, the political opponents of President Yameen and exiled leaders such as Mohamed Nasheed, Maldives first democratically elected President returned. For small island countries like Maldives and Sri Lanka, the diplomacy is fundamental and critical for the conduct of International relations.  In both these episodes in   1988, when coup happened    and in 2018, when   Maldives faced another crisis where the   opposition faced a democratically challenging   situation, India played    a very    important    constructive role in both the events. These viable commitments by India will pave the way to   have   long term continued   solid cooperation   with   Maldives and its South Asian neighbours for the prosperity and stability of the region.

*Pooja Singh   scholar of Masters in Diplomacy, Law, International Business at Jindal School of International Affairs(JSIA), India

Srimal Fernando
Srimal Fernando
Research scholar at Jindal School of International Affairs, India and an editor of Diplomatic Society for South Africa