'People of Maldives are sorry': Former prez Mohamed Nasheed says India's boycott impacting tourism

Amid the ongoing diplomatic tussle between India and Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, former Maldivian President, has expressed concerns about India's boycott call on the Maldives, saying it has deeply impacted the country's tourism sector. 

"It has impacted the Maldives a lot, and I am actually here in India. I'm very worried about this. I want to say the people of the Maldives are sorry, we are sorry that this has happened. We want Indian people to come on their holidays to the Maldives, and there will not be any change in our hospitality," Nasheed, who is in India,  said.

The diplomatic strain between India and the Maldives hit another low after President Mohamed Muizzu, seen as pro-China, announced plans to expel all Indian military personnel from the country by March 10. Nasheed acknowledged India's historically responsible approach in dealing with such matters, stating that instead of exerting pressure, India proposed a diplomatic discussion.

"When the president of the Maldives wanted Indian military personnel to leave, you know what India did? They did not twist their arms. They did not display muscle, but just simply told the government of Maldives, 'Okay, let's have a discussion on that'," he said. 

On the recent defence agreement between Maldives and China, Nasheed dismissed it as not being a defence pact but rather an acquisition of equipment. 

"I think that Muizzu wanted to buy some equipment, mainly rubber bullets and tear gas. It is very unfortunate that the government thought that there is a need for more tear gas and more rubber bullets. Governance is not through the barrel of the gun," he said. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently stated that misunderstandings can arise between nations and expressed optimism in resolving the dispute through diplomatic means. "Humanity is humanity. Diplomacy is diplomacy, and politics is politics. The whole world doesn't always run with obligation...so if we have encountered such a situation, the solution will come through diplomacy only," Jaishankar said.