India-Maldives ties: India has opened a new naval base on Minicoy Island in the Indian Ocean, close to Maldives, as ties with the island nation deteriorate to a new low. Relations between New Delhi and Male have remained tense since President Mohamed Muizzu ascended to power, and especially since the row involving three Maldivian ministers posting derogatory comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi that led to their suspension.
INS Jatayu, the new base on the Lakshadweep archipelago, had been under construction for years. It is India’s most distant base on its western coast. The base on Minicoy Island is around 125 km away from Maldives.
“Indian Navy commissions INS Jatayu at Minicoy, the southernmost island of Lakshadweep. Another step towards Navy’s efforts to incrementally augment security infrastructure at the strategically important islands,” said the spokesperson for Indian Navy on X.
The new base comes as Muizzu, believed widely to be pro-China, pushed India to withdraw 88 troops who have been stationed to provide technical and medical assistance on three aircraft that were given by New Delhi. Muizzu has vowed to ensure Maldives’ sovereignty but at the same time, signed an agreement with China to receive free military aid.
The naval base will help India in its surveillance efforts in the region that has been of strategic importance for India to secure the passage of maritime traffic through the Indian Ocean.
Muizzu, at an event earlier this week, said that there would be no Indian troops left in the island nation, not in uniform and not in civilian clothing. “There will be no Indian troops in the country come May 10. Not in uniform and not in civilian clothing. The Indian military will not be residing in this country in any form of clothing. I state this with confidence,” he said at an event.
On Wednesday, Muizzu announced that Maldives will not renew the agreement for conducting hydrographic surveys with India. Maldives will acquire the facilities and machines required to carry out the hydrographic surveys by itself, he said. The agreement to conduct hydrographic surveys of Maldives’ underwater features with India was signed by the former administration, led by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.