NEW DELHI: After nearly nine months, the Maldivian government has flipped from its anti-India stand. From announcing that Dornier aircraft (gifted by India) will now be used for medical evacuation to having roadshows titled ‘Welcome India’ in India to woo back Indian tourists, there has been a marked shift.External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be visiting the archipelago next weekend.“Jaishankar is likely to meet President Mohamad Muizzu (tentatively in the second week of this month). Besides, he will inspect three projects that are being undertaken with Indian support. These are: an airport project in north Hanimaadhoo, an airport project in Gan and the Greater Male area bridge connectivity (the first phase of it is visible at Viliginli island),’’ said a source.The Maldivian change of heart is primarily due to economic reasons. There is a reduced inflow of Indian tourists. Besides, India has deferred a $50 million loan. People in the Maldives are concerned about Chinese investments, and they are not sure whether they have pushed the repayment of loans by five years or merely replaced them with soft loans.Meanwhile, Muizzu has credited India with helping in evacuating foreign nationals while also stating that the Indian military personnel have been replaced by civilians.President Muizzu on the first day of his being elected had said that he would send the Indian troops marching out of his country. There were 88 Indian troops and they were primarily manning two Dornier aircraft and one helicopter. The military personnel have now been replaced by civilians from India.
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