On Saturday, a tweet by Maldives minister on PM Narendra Modi sparked a row that soon enough triggered out of control and escalated into strained diplomatic relations between India and the archipelago nation. Boycott calls, outrage swamped the social media with notable public figures taking a stand not just against the remark but the entire nation while targeting its economy. Following which, Maldives government suspended three ministers while distancing itself from the personal remarks and opinions posted over social media.
India's strained relations with Canada
The sudden nature of strained diplomatic relations reminded many of five months back when in September India's diplomatic relations with Canada deteriorated officially. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said in the Parliament that intelligence agencies were investigating whether, "agents of the government of India '' were involved in the killing of alleged separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead in his vehicle. Within two weeks of the statement, Ottawa and New Delhi almost came to verbal blows with Canada issuing advisory to its citizens traveling to India and India in return threatening to revoke the diplomatic immunity of diplomats who had been told to leave. With Canada's 62 diplomats here, India wanted the number reduced to 41.
Diplomatic tensions between China and India
The relations between the two neighboring nations have never been particularly friendly, but things soured to the point of no return following a 2020 border clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley. The ties between two nuclear powers officially became a public concern of all the world nations, especially given the fact that both Beijing and New Delhi continued their provocative actions and reactions. At the time, a meeting at the level of Major Generals of both armies took control of the situation but only temporarily. In December 2022, troops clashed again after more than a year, near the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh state. Unfortunately, yet another border face-off between troops left soldiers injured on both sides near India's Sikkim state, between Bhutan and Nepal. The personally strained relations between Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi haven't helped the situation either, with Xi skipping the G20 summit hosted by Modi in New Delhi. The two countries have only fought one war, so far in 1962 where India suffered a crushing and humiliating defeat. Geopolitical observers say talks are the only way forward as both nations have much to lose.
India-China ties affect India in ways more than many. For one, as US-China rivalry intensifies, New Delhi and Washington continue to see each other as their vital partners, connected as much by common 'enemy' as by shared interests.
India Pakistan
Far from friendly, the two nations are known to be sworn enemies. The rocky relationship between nuclear armed countries again goes back to decades and remains complex in ways unexplainable. So much so that the recent world cup cricket clash between India and Pakistan amply displayed that even soft diplomacy between two nations is out of the picture. While debatable as it may be, the loudly partisan crowd at the cricket stadium in Ahmedabad more than proved that seeds of discord between two nations have been sown deep. Does the rivalry stay intact without affecting South Asian geopolitics and culture? Absolutely not. India is one of the major reasons for Pakistan's closely forged ties with China. The country that Pakistan has supported on most key issues and on global platforms.
Does China stand to gain?
The development between India and Maldives comes against the backdrop of Mohamed Muizzu's state visit to China from January 8-12, where China and Maldives will reportedly sign several agreements following talks between Xi Jinping and Mohamed Muizzu.
Outrage, boycott and escalating the row are the easier options, especially when the effects will be known only in the long term. The deteriorating state of diplomatic relations with Maldives will not be viewed as an isolated incident. It comes against the backdrop of broader geopolitical developments and affects India's relations or position with other countries, especially in the Indian Ocean region.
