Lets just take a look at why the Maldives is really and should be of concern to all of us here in India. To begin with there is a strategic significance of the islands there, they are certainly placed in the Indian ocean and they have been a part of India's sphere of influence. Now, any kind of turmoil in the Maldives will of course change that balance.
Remember, the US watches the Maldives closely they also sent an envoy to the region right now. China of course very interpreted, not just from the refueling point of view but for the military bases, as well as surveillance point of view. So, anything that changes in the Maldives should be of extreme concern to us in India.
Secondly, President Mohammed Nasheed for all that he might have done wrong or right, he was certainly is as the Obama of the East. He was elected in 2008, he is a former human rights activist, a dashing 44-year-old man who really came as the first democratically elected President of the Maldives. For India not to support him at this time, certainly puts a colour on India's actions and if was to come back to power at a future date, it certainly begs the question has India backed a wrong cause, by so quickly accepting the new President Dr (Waheed Hassan) Manik? And in fact, welcoming him with a statement from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Finally is the question, what is the principle here, should India be backing democracy? Or, should it be following its policy of non-interference? In the past, India has certainly sent in its neighbour warships in order to avert a coup in the Maldives. This time, they have decided to stick with the non-interference. Is that the best course for a country like India which has backed all these smaller nations in the past? Certainly that's what is going to play out in the next few weeks, when it comes to the Maldives-India equation.
In fact on World View this week that's of the questions we are going to look at, we are going to talk to Sumon K Chakrabarti, who is about to publish a book on the Maldives, as well as has been covered every big development there on the ground. As well as one of Nasheed's supporters from there in London, whether they feel disappointed with India's action.
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