China’s offer to build a naval port worth over Rs3,000 crore in Maldives has forced India to ramp up its efforts in further strengthening military ties with Male. India is now also likely to pitch for the naval dockyard project Uthuru Thila Fallu in the island nation.
Army chief General Bikram Singh, who is on a three-day visit there, is already holding parleys with his counterparts to supply ships, helicopters, small arms and ammunition, is expected to take up India’s cause for the venture,” officials said here on Friday.
New Delhi has been concerned about its strategic interests given Beijing’s growing presence in Maldives. More so, since China has a policy in place to have a ‘string of pearls’ around India by building close ties with all neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Sri lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
China has already gained a foothold for the first time in the Indian Ocean region by opening an embassy in Maldives and having a sizable presence in one of the islands thereby posing a challenge to India's security establishment.
“Beijing’s latest bid to foster close ties with Maldives in the Indian Ocean region is thus a serious matter,” officials admitted.
Maldives is located just 140 km from lakhadweep and 650 km from Thiruvananthapuram. Given its geographical location, it is vital for India's strategic interests in the Indian Ocean region.
In this backdrop, Bikram Singh will discuss Maldives' request for supplying advanced light helicopters, fast attack craft, coastal radars, amphibious landing craft besides small arms and ammunition, sources said.
Heading a delegation of officials in his capacity as Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee, Bikram will also discuss the possibility of India developing the naval dockyard, they said adding Maldives has sent feelers to New Delhi in this regard.
Maldives does not have even a single port and this is affecting their main source of income, tourism, which attracts more than 12 lakh visitors every year. The island nation, with a population of about five lakh, wants a port for enabling luxury liners to berth there apart from having an infrastructure for its fledgling Coast Guard and Navy. At present, their ships, most of them supplied by India, have to be brought here for refits or overhaul.
They said China stole a march over India by bagging the contract to build Hambantota port in Sri lanka though New Delhi and Colombo share good relations. Also, domestic political compulsions in India allowed China and Pakistan to make into India’s strategic neighbourhood by supplying weapons to Sri lanka during the war against lTTE and these relations are now stronger, sources said.
As regards Defence ties with Maldives, India has supplied two advanced light helicopters, one Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft and two coastal radars. Indian Navy ships also regularly patrol the exclusive economic zone(EEZ) of Maldives to prevent piracy, smuggling and possible terrorist movement through sea lanes.
The country comprises 1,192 islands grouped into 26 atolls and only 199 islands are inhabited.
Maldives is also part of Indian Ocean Symposium (IONS) started by India five years back to bring together all littoral nations on the rim of the Indian Ocean to jointly fight piracy and terrorism. At present, more than 30 countries are part of IONS and the Navy chiefs of these countries meet once every year to chalk out strategies.