We explain how the Maldives government’s new stance on India relates to the social media remarks that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s post on his recent visit to Lakshadweep sparked.
This past weekend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tweets on X, which promoted travel to the Lakshadweep islands, ignited a social media feud between Maldivian politicians, government officials, and Indian users.
The Prime Minister wrote in a post on his trip to the Union Territory earlier this week that “Lakshadweep has to be on your list for those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them” and mentioned “the stunning beauty of its islands.”
How did this provoke comments on social media, and how does it connect to the Maldivian government’s recent stance on India? We explain. The Prime Minister and other Indian government officials did not mention the Maldives or any other tourist destination while promoting Lakshadweep in their official statement.
How the criticism of India began in the Maldives
Following PM Modi’s post, a number of well-known Maldivian social media users insulted, racially stereotyped, and denigrated Indians in general, as well as the Indian prime minister. Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information, and Arts for the Maldives Mariyam Shiuna wrote, “What a clown. The puppet of Israel, Mr. Narendra, dives with a life jacket. #VisitMaldives #SunnySideOfLife.” Shiuna also likened India to cow dung in a since-deleted post.
A member of the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives also shared a photograph, possibly of the Bora Bora islands in French Polynesia, claiming it was an image of an island resort in the Maldives. “Sun set in the Maldives. You will not see this in Lakshadweep. #Visit Maldives. CC: @narendramodi” (sic), wrote Maaiz Mahmood. Malsha Sharif, another deputy minister and Shiuna’s colleague in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information, and Arts in the Maldives, made similar disparaging remarks about India and the tourism campaign in the Maldives.
Then, a few local Maldivian news websites began publishing sensational headlines in the Dhivehi language, claiming that India had launched a campaign against tourism in the Maldives. Other Maldivian social media users quickly jumped on this and joined the bandwagon, comparing the Maldives to the Lakshadweep islands and hurling obscenities and derogatory remarks against India and Indians.
Once President Mohamed Muizzu took office in November of last year, the situation became more serious when diplomats and high-ranking officials in ministerial roles started to repeat and share derogatory words and content and encouraged others to do the same. Many of them got into heated arguments and fights with anonymous Indian social media users.
Some Maldivian social media users have gone so far as to claim that Lakshadweep is not Indian territory and belongs to the Maldives. This was in response to the Indian government’s attempts to promote tourism in Lakshadweep.
What has India been accused of by Maldivian social media users?
Some people on social media started criticizing India for what they perceived as an attempt to “compete” with their nation as a destination for tourists seeking a tropical getaway.
“The move is great, but the idea of competing with us is delusional. How can they provide the service we offer? How can they be so clean? The biggest downfall will be the permanent smell in the rooms,” wrote Zahid Rameez, a senator and party member of the Progressive Party of the Maldives.
Other social media users were also prompted by these tweets to make a variety of racist comments directed towards Indians and Indian visitors to the Maldives.
A study by Michigan State University found that Maldivians is heavily dependent on tourism, with the industry accounting for over 28 percent of its GDP. Official figures released by the Maldives government show that Indian tourists have consistently remained among the top ten nationalities who travel to the island every year. In 2023 alone, Indian tourists made up the largest group of tourists, with over 200,000 travelers, followed by tourists from Russia and China.
Some Indian social media users responded to the mockery from Maldivians by vowing not to vacation in the Maldives and by calling for a boycott of Maldivian hotels and resorts. Others talked about the ways that India has helped the Maldives over the years and some of the more well-known aspects of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. We founded the tourism sector in the Maldives on the values of hospitality, tolerance, peace, and harmony. By strategically partnering with international brands and investments, including those from India, we have effectively positioned the Maldives as a leading destination for luxury resorts. Taking into account the current state of the world economy and the tourism sector’s vulnerability, we
What causes certain people in the Maldives to feel this way about India?
Anti-Indian sentiments are not new in the Maldives; sometime around 2020, the ‘India Out’ campaign began as protests in the Maldives on the ground and later used the term along with a relevant hashtag to spread rapidly across social media platforms.
Opponents of the government of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the Maldives’ president from 2018 to 2023, continued to support the campaign, and by the second half of 2021, it had grown into a visible and active political movement. The campaign was also openly supported and encouraged by the former president, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom.
Advocates of the movement asserted that it was initiated to voice opposition to what they perceived as the military presence of India in the nation; nevertheless, they deliberately targeted every facet of the bilateral relations between India and the Maldives.
One of the primary campaign promises made by the PPM-PNC coalition was taken up by the Muizzu government after the presidential elections last year. In December 2023, during the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit with Indian officials, Muizzu announced that India’s government had decided to remove its soldiers from the Maldives. The soldiers were there to oversee and operate two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft that India had donated to the Maldives.
The new Maldivian president is expected to make a state visit to China from January 8–12, as announced last week by the Chinese foreign ministry. Analysts view the Muizzu government as eager to forge stronger alliances with China.