Anand Kumar replies: Though GMR was a private Indian company working in Maldives only to further its corporate interests, but it also symbolised the engagement of Indian business community with the Maldives. Definitely, the GMR fiasco has caused an uncertainty in the bilateral relations. Maldives had also signed a defence agreement with China while the GMR row was still on. Clearly, a much larger game is on and it is not related only to the economics of GMR running the airport in Male. It is bound to impact India’s political, military and economic ties with the Maldives.
Implications of Political Dissonance in the Maldives
The domestic politics of the Maldives might significantly change if the position of the MDP government weakens. It might change the flavour of India–Maldives bilateral relationship and will also have an impact on the security environment in the Indian Ocean region.