Maldives Civil-Military Issues

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Feb 2018 20:30

>>Type 071 amph transport dock

will have a few 100 marines and helicopters along with upto 4 LST/hovercraft

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Feb 2018 20:34

plus the hotel ship they use to keep spare crews for the anti piracy mission could also be pressed in to swarm the atolls and put boots on ground

once they hit the beach its game over for india, as we would have to risk a shooting match to regain control of the islands.

Pulikeshi · Post by **Pulikeshi** » 17 Feb 2018 05:40

SSridhar wrote:vinod, China may have bolstered its assets around Maldives, but I doubt if it would be willing to go the 'showdown' path if India decides to intervene.

Not intervening is not going to be an option for India if things don't change there.

As everyone is well aware - The Indian Ocean covers 70,560,000 km2 (27,240,000 sq mi), including the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf
Somewhere in there, of course, there are Chinese Naval presence to the Eastern part of the Indian Ocean
When someone says there is Indian naval presence - everyone wants evidence... but the Chinese oooh, they are right there alright!

This Modi, right wing infested, leftist socialist oriented, pushing upward, being pulled downward govermint, quite correctly, will not speak and engage, and the Chinese Soupower, bombastic Gobar Times and JeengoVaadins on BRF will not quit armchair hell raising!

Ratnakara will remain Indian Ocean - The Chinese seem to be making a bad habit of peaking (no pun intended) too soon!
Not since Doka Lama has such beer and popcorn time arrived!

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 17 Feb 2018 10:09

The chinese action is very Paki like.
Pakistan was $hitting in their shalwars and Mushy promptly came on live TV profusely apologizing during Op Parakram.
Once both sides withdrew, the Paki morons creeped out of their hellholes and started claiming that India did not fight, because of the martial strength of their fauj.

China has the same disease - propagandoo, to keep the cheenis happy back home.
So they deploy a Type 52, Type 71 etc.

If hostilities do break out, these chinese ships will promptly dock at the nearest piece of land around - the bottom of the Indian ocean.
Chances are, there will be no hostilities, because India does not plan on using military action, in which case the chinese can later claim, that their 71 and 52 kept the peace - laughable! Had India planned to use the military, it would have done so several months ago, when things started going downhill.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 17 Feb 2018 11:08

This is precisely what I have been saying all along.Act swiftly when the opportunity arises.In the first two weeks of the crisis, the despot was shitting in his pants anxiously scanning the skies to look for Indian aircraft.Just taking over the airport and surrounding the tiny dot on the ocean that Male is by just CG vessels would've been " match over " as they say for the despot and his firang sponsors.By dawdling, taking a vow of silence on the issue, we've handed over the Maldives to the Chinese.Instead of enforcing a naval blockade we now will have Chinese warships permanently based in the Maldives and regularly rotated.

Fait accompli, Mr.Modi has surrendered to the Chins without a shot being fired! I am simply appalled at the total lack of vision and understanding of strategic affairs by the NDA regime and its advisers whoever they may be on the strategic importance of the Maldives. In joining hands with Iran over ChahBahar laudable it may be, our strategy has been undermined hugely when the Chinese are safely ensconced in Djibouti, Gwadar,Jiwani, the Maldives, Colombo and Hambantota, Burma and possibly Chittagong too.It is India which is now surrounded and will have an "IOR dilemma" in the future, not the Chins with a " Malacca dilemma" in the future!

I foresaw this 3 decades ago studying the Chins in SL and learnt how the Chins plan decades in advance, slowly inch by inch moving their influence lines almost imperceptibly and whencthe moment is right swiftly move in , unveiling a fait accompli.They did this in thd Spratlys right under the noses of the USN. We were shocked when they declared Ar.Pr. as " Southern Tibet.Why did we not respond by calling Tibet "Chinese Occupied Tibet" in return? They now threaten us when the PM visits Ar.Pr.! A lie spouted umpteen times by a Chinaman will never turn into the truth!

The window of opportunity in the Maldives has not yet closed.India must also send an invasion task force asap and if the Chinese want to challenge us in the IOR so be it.Their logistic lines are huge and they have several years to get their planned bases operational. A lot was expected from the NDA and Mr.Modi in enhancing India's security and strengthening our posture in the IOR.Barring improved relations with BDesh and a few successes in the Seychelles, Oman and ChahBahar, the speed with which the Chins have moved in esp. in SL, where we are on a losing wicket and now possibly in the Maldives makes Indian diplomacy look weak and amateurish in comparison.Long past time for the GOI to act but will it?

Pulikeshi · Post by **Pulikeshi** » 17 Feb 2018 11:23

Philip wrote: Fait accompli, Mr.Modi has surrendered to the Chins without a shot being fired! I am simply appalled at the total lack of vision and understanding of strategic affairs by the NDA regime and its advisers whoever they may be on the strategic importance of the Maldives.

...
A lot was expected from the NDA and Mr.Modi in enhancing India's security and strengthening our posture in the IOR.Barring improved relations with BDesh and a few successes in the Seychelles, Oman and ChahBahar, the speed with which the Chins have moved in esp. in SL, where we are on a losing wicket and now possibly in the Maldives makes Indian diplomacy look weak and amateurish in comparison.Long past time for the GOI to act but will it?

This has nothing to do with Modi, even the UPA did nothing in Maldives... Indians are chankiyan

Prepare to be disappointed as strategery is even more counter intuitive than you suggest!

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 17 Feb 2018 12:37

window of opportunity is shut closed for now...unless new crisis unfolds. Until then just sit and watch... like our foreign policy.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 17 Feb 2018 14:33

It has everything to do with Mr.Modi! The buck stops with him.For 3 years now we've been insulted and shafted by the Maldivian sprat and simply watched as China sailed in and the Pakis made inroadd too.The NDA cannot keep blaming the gutless UPA anymore.We voted for a decisive PM and govt., not a saffron coloured UP A! History will record this lost opportunity if we do nothing and Mr.Modi is in great danger of being remembered as the man who lost the Maldives.

Mr.Modi must walk the talk on the Maldive issue otherwise Asia and the world will view us as a mere paper tiger useless in combating the Chinese juggernaut across Asia and the IOR to Africa where they are already strongly entrenched.All we're capable of these days is giving "befitting replies" !

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 17 Feb 2018 20:17

abhijitm wrote:window of opportunity is shut closed for now...unless new crisis unfolds. Until then just sit and watch... like our foreign policy.

haven't we substantially broken the cheeni string of pearls??, with more to come??

We are sitting on their heads in hambantotha, duqm and gwadar via chabahar. We are already in seychelles, we are sitting like a giant aircraft carrier in the Indian ocean, we have two large coastlines dominating our SLOCs, we are very close to the Malacca straits choke point

We have not joined their CPEC, poked them in the eye in doklam. Our intentions are clear, both military and commercial, strategically poised and in alliance with like minded powers of very considerable maritime heft.

What special thing is to be gained in precipitating a crises in maldives??

We watch the area carefully as always, we fly regularly on maritime patrols into those very waters, our IN/CG ships frequent that space.

WTF are the hans going to do?? Our supply lines are short and theirs are very long and through waters where we have considerable say.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 18 Feb 2018 05:19

https://youtu.be/Jq5BY40AvwE

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 18 Feb 2018 09:10

Anti-Yameen protests erupt across Maldives - AP

Dozens of pro-opposition supporters were injured and many were arrested after police in the Maldives broke up countrywide protests demanding the resignation of President Yameen Abdul Gayoom and the release of his political opponents from prison.

Thousands of people took part in the protests in the archipelago nation on Friday despite the country being under a state of emergency.
Several people were hospitalised with injuries and many protesters were arrested, but hospital and police officials refused to provide numbers. The injured included about 10 reporters who were covering the protest.

Police said on Saturday that the demonstrators had ignored warnings that the right to protest has been suspended under the state of emergency. "In spite of the warning, certain political leaders encouraged this protest, encouraged citizens to face off against security services personnel."police said in a statement . The Maldives has been in a political turmoil since February 1.

Pulikeshi · Post by **Pulikeshi** » 18 Feb 2018 09:22

Interesting article with all the biases, facts and figures:
Emergency Will Be Lifted as Scheduled Once ‘Judicial Deadlock’ Is Resolved: Maldives Envoy to India

Real fact: Expect onlee chai biscoot till 20th

According to the current schedule, the emergency declaration will lapse on February 20, unless extended by parliament.

How to prolong the chai biscoot?

India has floated a proposal for a fact-finding mission by the United Nations, but the suggestion is still moving through the procedural channels of the world body.

Pulikeshi · Post by **Pulikeshi** » 18 Feb 2018 09:27

For all the jeengovaadins please to pick map and look at mincoy, bitra, androth & kavaratti and draw straight lines to Malé and Diego Garcia

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 18 Feb 2018 09:32

Indian project to set up Navy radars in Maldives under cloud

Indian project to set up Navy radars in Maldives under cloud

By Sujan Dutta, 18th February 2018.

NEW DELHI: Questions hang over the fate of an Indian project to set up 10 Coastal Surveillance Radar Systems (CSRS) in the Maldives after President Yameen Abdul Gayoom declared a state of emergency in the archipelago on February 5.

India has set up three CSRS, the last of them in 2015, “but they are not transmitting”, a source in the defence establishment has told The New Indian Express.

The latest schedule envisages the completion of the Maldivian CSRS—meaning seven more radars—by the end of March after three previous deadlines were breached. But the rhetoric that has been exchanged, the travel advisory issued by New Delhi, the cold vibes over the visit of an envoy plus China’s wordy warning against external intervention have made an India-Maldives defence cooperation pact shaky.

If the radars do not function as assessed by the Indian Navy, monitoring traffic near and through the Maldives—especially Chinese mercantile and military movements in the Southern Indian Ocean—would be carried out only through two helicopters stationed in the country.

An Indian Navy Dornier aircraft and a warship make a weekly sortie to the Maldives. The objective of the CSRS and the sorties is to keep an eye on Chinese traffic. The security establishment decided then that the entire Indian coastline as also its littorals should be equipped with CSRS and Automated Identification Systems (AIS) that would give early warning of suspect vessels.

The Maldivian CSRS network was planned as part of a grid of 45 radar stations in the western Indian Ocean that would be integrated with the Indian Coast Guard’s system. It was also designed to be capable of transmitting images to the National Command Control Communications and Intelligence centre.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 18 Feb 2018 09:32

Amid Maldives crisis, Indian Army, Navy and Air Force begins joint exercise in Arabian Sea

Amid Maldives crisis, Indian Army, Navy and Air Force begins joint exercise in Arabian Sea

By Sujan Dutta 15th February 2018

NEW DELHI: A joint exercise of the army, the navy and the air force has begun in the Arabian Sea this week even as China and the Maldives have warned against threats of military intervention in the archipelago following the declaration of a state of emergency by President Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

Exercise ‘Paschim Lehar’, led by the Western Naval Command, involves the participation of more than 40 warships, submarines and aircraft. The waters around the Maldives are in the western naval command’s operational area of responsibility.

This is the second edition of Exercise Paschim Lehar (XPL). It follows the first that was concluded only three months back in November.

“The amphibious capabilities of the armed forces, along with the elements of Army Amphibious Brigade will also be deployed and tested for operational tasking during the exercise,” navy sources said.

The Army Amphibious Brigade is usually based in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. It has been deployed to the west coast for the exercise. Amphibious exercises involve offensive drills that require the landing of soldiers from flat-bottomed vessels on coasts without having to dock in a port.

“The exercise includes a number of weapon firings, including missile, gun and torpedo firings during the initial phase. The second phase is structured to validate and refine the operational plans of the Western Naval Command,” said the sources.

Last week, the navy ended an exercise called ENCORE that was led by the Visakhapatnam-based Eastern Naval Command. Among the annual exercises conducted by the navy was the Tropex. But this year onwards the navy had decided to conduct separate exercises on the eastern and western seaboards. The Eastern Naval Command Theatre Level Readiness Exercise (ENCORE) also involved more than 40 ships and submarines, including those from the western fleet and the Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC).

The current edition of Exercise Paschim Lehar (XPL) would also see the involvement of the Indian Air Force and the Coast Guard. The IAF has squadrons of Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft that are tasked with a maritime role based in Gujarat.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 18 Feb 2018 10:22

One exercise isn't going to make Yameen blink, but the sight of an IN task force just outside Male will.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 18 Feb 2018 11:00

The video I posted above is very instructive:
Briefly:
Maldives was so peaceful, through to the 80’s that they had zero crime. There was one murder in the 70s, when a German tourist murdered his girlfriend !
Then the invasion from Sri Lanka happened in the 80s and petty crime gradually started after that
The Saudis gave $ 1 billion for islamic studies and started a student exchange program in the 90s. Wahabism creeped in and Maldives now has the dubious distinction of having the largest number of ISIS recruits by percent of the population of any country. Crime is now common and there has even been a bomb blast there.

Tourism is their only source of livelihood.
Even during op cactus, after he was released, President Mohammad Gayoom asked India to help restart tourism, and start flights from Male. The indian forces left in 10 days after Cactus.

There is a weekly indian coast guard, dornier flight with maldivian military on board to keep an eye on the island chain.

Now, with the state of emergncy, travel advisories have been issued by many countries and tourist flights are not coming in. Common maldivians are going to be upset with Yameen due to this. The opposition is still not on the same page as far as asking India to intervene. Some opposition politicians are in jail besides.

Indias precondition to intervene militarily seems to be, that the people of Maldives want Yameen out, that there be a groundswell against Yameen by both the people and the opposition. (It is gradually building up to that)

China: Has 3000 troops in Djibouti, with eventual plans to deploy about 10000 troops between Djibouti and Jiwani eventually. India is monitoring the chinese because they can potentially move troops out of Djibouti to maldives.

Saudi Arabia has fairly good hold on Maldivan public and Sushma Swaraj has been to Riyadh last week, and would have discussed Maldives with the Saudis as well. Saudis have brought 2 islands in the Maldives and are building resorts there via Chinese companies there. China is also building/expanding 10 airports on the islands to improve connectivity

Coming to now: The groundswell seeking indian intervention is gradually building up. The Indian armed forces are deployed in force close to the area and are conducting a tri-services exercise there as I type this. China is rushing in its Navy to the area as well
Watch this space, some fast paced developments may take place !

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Feb 2018 11:15

There are saudi funded mosques even in tint atolls with few people ... not a good sign

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 18 Feb 2018 11:26

Even in Male, there are about a dozen mosques now, as opposed to very few, back in the 80s. Outside of Male, in the islands, things are obviously going to be more ‘traditional’
Wahabism has swept through the maldives, and its earstwhile innocence is gone.

Any military had better be sure of non-interference by locals, if not outright local support, and so the foreign ministers visit to KSA is of significance. It’ll be very bad if some mullahs start issuing fatwas citing foreign invasion of their holy lands etc. Things are that bad in Maldives in places

Pulikeshi · Post by **Pulikeshi** » 18 Feb 2018 11:40

Philip wrote:One exercise isn't going to make Yameen blink, but the sight of an IN task force just outside Male will.

The exercise is for others more so than anything... Yameem has already blinked! There are several options ahead hence the radio silence.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 18 Feb 2018 12:05

Pulikeshi wrote:
Philip wrote:One exercise isn't going to make Yameen blink, but the sight of an IN task force just outside Male will.
The exercise is for others more so than anything... Yameem has already blinked! There are several options ahead hence the radio silence.

This "exercise" is in the face of the cheeni "opposition" to India's presence in the area.

Just like the cheeni, we too have military assets very close by, but with much easier replenishment sources and the ability to reinforce very quickly.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 18 Feb 2018 12:29

Almost like Op Meghdoot redux
The Chinese are steaming in, the IN is deloyed in force
If the balloon goes up, wonder who’ll get boots on the ground first

BTW, things must be very toxic in Male these days. It must be fun to work at the Indian embassy there now - heavy Maldivian and Chinese surveillance, both physical and electronic, with movements of people very closely watched. The Maldivians, Indians and chinese keeping a close watch on yameen, the opposition politicians. CIA, Saudi intel, MI6 on the ground...
Outside the islands, Indian & US ELINT planes deployed, sniffing out eletronic intel, Indias 15 odd imaging satellites, satellites of the US, China, Russia, keeping a close watch on the straits of Malacca, SCS, IOR, Maldives. Cyber-security people in several countries monitoring web and telephone traffic into and out of Maldives...

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 18 Feb 2018 12:57

Yes.The Chin threat was an exercise in " bluffology".They know that if they start a shooting match in the IOR right now with the IN, it will end up with a " sinking " feeling in their bellies. Their shouting from the ramparts of Great Wall is to try by any non-violent means possible to prevent the Maldives to undergo regime change orchestrated by India.Their " threat " however is not in the IOR but At.Pradesh, the so-called Southern Tibet which they have wargamed as a means of destroying the" Tibetan threat", read the Dalai Lama, Tibetan diaspora and their hold over the people of Tibet.So a thrust into At.Pr. to neutralise the Tawang monastery is a key priority for the Chinese.We must be prepared for a sudden Chinese attack as in '62 and the sat pics that Shiv posted earlier showing the huge Chin build up near Doklam is an indication of Chin plans.

The Maldives may be used as a diversion by them, allied with Paki mischief in J& K , Why the 2.5 war scenario may be imminent.
.

Pulikeshi · Post by **Pulikeshi** » 18 Feb 2018 13:09

Gagan wrote:It must be fun to work at the Indian embassy there now - heavy Maldivian and Chinese surveillance, both physical and electronic, with movements of people very closely watched.

Casa Male Blanca!

Good post and thanks for the LS video

Philip wrote:Yes.The Chin threat was an exercise in " bluffology"....
We must be prepared for a sudden Chinese attack as in '62 and the sat pics that Shiv posted earlier showing the huge Chin build up near Doklam is an indication of Chin plans.

The Maldives may be used as a diversion by them, allied with Paki mischief in J& K , Why the 2.5 war scenario may be imminent.

All possible, but Maldives has been simmering for a while now - no quick outcomes unless one of the players makes a move for it!
You may be right about land attack as well... but what has changed is surveillance via satellites and air power
The Chinese, unlike their barking dog Gobar Times, would have be desperate to take on the Indians at sea, air or land...
Such a thing is unlikely to happen unless the internal stench in China has become unbearable and a war is needed to reset all!

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 18 Feb 2018 13:11

Philip wrote:Yes.The Chin threat was an exercise in " bluffology".They know that if they start a shooting match in the IOR right now with the IN, it will end up with a " sinking " feeling in their bellies. Their shouting from the ramparts of Great Wall is to try by any non-violent means possible to prevent the Maldives to undergo regime change orchestrated by India.Their " threat " however is not in the IOR but At.Pradesh, the so-called Southern Tibet which they have wargamed as a means of destroying the" Tibetan threat", read the Dalai Lama, Tibetan diaspora and their hold over the people of Tibet.So a thrust into At.Pr. to neutralise the Tawang monastery is a key priority for the Chinese.We must be prepared for a sudden Chinese attack as in '62 and the sat pics that Shiv posted earlier showing the huge Chin build up near Doklam is an indication of Chin plans.

The Maldives may be used as a diversion by them, allied with Paki mischief in J& K , Why the 2.5 war scenario may be imminent.
.

undoubtedly, the cheenis are orchestrating the paki attacks in cashmere, giving credence to the premise that the cheeni will fight to the last paki and the paki will fight to the last cashmeri.

The cheeni will not precipitate anything in the maldives because a variety of economic forces are arrayed against them at present, not to mention that some of these economic forces have naval muscle in the area to back them up.

Their belt and road, silk route initiative is at stake, of slowing down and maybe coming to a sputtering temporary halt, badly hurting the cheeni credibility.

kit · Post by **kit** » 18 Feb 2018 13:32

Gagan wrote:The video I posted above is very instructive:

China: Has 3000 troops in Djibouti, with eventual plans to deploy about 10000 troops between Djibouti and Jiwani eventually. India is monitoring the chinese because they can potentially move troops out of Djibouti to maldives.

Coming to now: The groundswell seeking indian intervention is gradually building up. The Indian armed forces are deployed in force close to the area and are conducting a tri-services exercise there as I type this. China is rushing in its Navy to the area as well
Watch this space, some fast paced developments may take place !

At some point there will a real hard talk between India and China on Maldives without the maldivians .. India has an insurance policy here to make sure things go it's way and China has it's investments and maldivian businesses to count on. I feel more than military action it's likely the political and economic pressures that can bring long standing results. Indian navy can easily blockade Maldives from any foreign power and it's proximity vs China gives it the upper hand.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 18 Feb 2018 20:43

Geography does not matter. Supply lines don't matter too. Only thing that matters is that Modi fails again and again and again ...

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ ... i-5067176/
Grant time to special envoy for talks, Maldives tells Delhi

For the second time in the last 10 days, amid an ongoing political crisis in Maldives, the island nation has approached India with a request to allow a special envoy to meet the Indian leadership at a “convenient time” for New Delhi. Speaking to The Indian Express, Maldives Ambassador to India, Ahmed Mohamed, said: “During Thursday’s meeting between Indian Ambassador Akhilesh Mishra and our Foreign Secretary Ahmed Sareer, we once again requested India for a bilateral visit by a special envoy from our President. Unlike last time, when we had requested for a visit by a special envoy on a specific date, this time it has been kept open-ended, at a time convenient to the Indian government.”

Note how Indian influence over Maldives has dwindled over the years. India deflected the request for a meeting a few days back and now they are back at it again! Even piddi Maldives doesn't listen to us anymore

Why is Maldives gov so keen to meet the *fail* Modi GOI? Does is make any sense when they have their Chinese chaddi-buddi? Especially after the Chinese warned India off Maldives! Common sense tells us that Chinese guarantees in the IOR region should have been enough for Maldives .. no ..

But no matter what Modi fails ...

pushkar.bhat · Post by **pushkar.bhat** » 18 Feb 2018 21:08

Remember a lot of the Chinese moves are mere counter moves against the India-Japan-Australia Axis that is being built. You add US as the Lynch pin in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific Ocean and the String of Pearls starts looking like a string of liabilities for the Chinese. Remember ultimately the power of these 4 nations to spend will result in a excessive spend for the Chinese and they will go the way USSR went during the Communist Era. The Chinese know this and are very weary of the evolving environment around them. Look at each of the pearls and you will realize that they are minimizing their stakes so as to ensure they can make a strategic withdrawal without excessive costs.

[Added after Edit]

I was specifically talking about this. The Chinese are very nervous of any joint moves by Auz-Jap-Indo-US combine.
Australia, US, India and Japan in talks to establish Belt and Road alternative

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 18 Feb 2018 22:42

Under NO circumstances must we bring in the Chinese into any discussions reg. the Maldives.It's like inviting the Dragon into your house! The shitworm despot in the Maldives has to brought to book.A slimeball like him has the audacity to repeatedly insult and cause injury to India and her interests for a few years now.He has murdered democracy there and incarcerated thd democratic opposition.There can be a limit to our patience. Instead of him sending an envoy to Delhi, we must send our envoy to Male , aboard a naval task force,to read the riot act out to him, a general of 3* rank.On second thoughts that's too much for his lowliness, a JCO is sufficient and that might be too much too!

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 19 Feb 2018 00:20

Nasheed meets Nirmala Sitharaman

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 19 Feb 2018 00:36

Reminds me of having to explain myself to the schoolmarm.

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 19 Feb 2018 04:04

NSA and Army chief were in Bhutan.I see that dots are connecting. Bakistan doing harakiri by max provocation. Maldives warning us. Game was to entangle us in West and Chinese complete their task in dhoklam. We refused to take the bait.Maldives can be sloved anytime.first we secure the flanks.once that is done a big public zhapad will be given to baki.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 19 Feb 2018 06:31

The slimeballs in Male has forgotten that not so long ago there was a drinking water crisis there and who saved his bacon? India! By sending ships carrying water. Everything in the Maldives barring a few coconuts and fish has to be imported.A naval blockade alone will set off massive shortages , unrest and his own population will throw him to the sharks.The well-heeled firang tourists will fly away and he will be up the creek without a paddle, fit to fry for Friday's feast.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 19 Feb 2018 07:34

What if the desalination plant self destruct? Not taking of a malfunction here but it burning down to the ground. From ashes to ashes.

If that is so i.e. if it is so easy to undermine Maldives why are you so worried?

Just sit back and enjoy the show.

Karthik S · Post by **Karthik S** » 19 Feb 2018 08:40

sanjaykumar wrote:Reminds me of having to explain myself to the schoolmarm.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Feb 2018 09:12

The board seems to read —huddle powered by srm(univ)

Could be in chennai

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 19 Feb 2018 09:24

Singha wrote:The board seems to read —huddle powered by srm(univ)

Could be in chennai

must be so very for a diehard sunni momeen to beg for help from a mere woman, no??

A woman with more power than his entire shithole country.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 19 Feb 2018 10:18

The Maldives is almost a lost case.Yesterday Male airport had no Asians in it , only Chinese.Colombo flooded with Chinese even the restaurant at the Taj filled with Chinese.Welcome to the new world!

This is the advice from former diplomutt Shivsankar
Menon.India should acknowledge China's status.It is no longer a zero sum game, either them or us.We cannot match their progress and it would be better to sit with them and sort out issues without confrontation.In other words accept a secondary status.With defeatist advice from such a senior diplomutt, India is a lost cause.Start learning Mandarin or emigrate.Nothing one has seen so far indicates that the Modi regime has even the capability of Rajiv G.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 19 Feb 2018 10:41

I haven't read what Shivsankar Menon has written/said and I am not about to spend time digging it up. Going by what you have indicated, I tend to agree with him on some things and not on others.

I agree with him on "India should acknowledge China's status. It is no longer a zero sum game, either them or us." also on the part "it would be better to sit with them and sort out issues without confrontation." Nothing wrong with any of the above IMHO. To progress, one must first acknowledge the current reality and in that reality, there exists a *substantial* power differential between Indian and China. It is not going to disappear tomorrow or just by closing our eyes or imagining a different world.

"We cannot match their progress" is true as things stand today. Why kick a fuss on that? My saying the opposite is not going to change facts. IF it was meant for things yet to come, I don't agree with him but hey that's just me.

People who try running away from reality are soon overtaken by it. No two ways about it. That part applies as much to India as it does to Maldives or China. Welcome to the reality.

Modi is not Rajiv G. That part I wholeheartedly agree.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 19 Feb 2018 11:08

.Years ago a former FM of a certain nation , good friend of India,whom I was in conversation with at a party, berated me about how Indian diplomacy was behaving like a mouse when China was achieving so much without fully flexing its muscles.He warned us what was to come and it has truly landed in our face. Our insipid diplomacy- and I blame a lot of it in the C ong./UPA especially in the last decade of Snake-Oil- Singh, where we completely abdicated our responsibility of securing our own backyard.

Former NSA MKN pontificated today in a media piece about Mr.Modi not doing just that, securing our neighbourhood instead rushing off all over the world, but what the **** was he doing when he was NSA?!
I am of the opinion that even the NDA has not leveraged our national strength in our diplomacy.NS being the sum of all our individual strengths especially our military might in the IOR where we are now abdicating our suzerainity to the Chins! What will the littoral nation's now think of us, scared cats without the will to take on a despot of a tadpole afeared of the Chinese who are thousands of miles away and cannot come to his rescue!

Mr.Modi is truly abominably served by the eunuchs of our MEA establishment , both retired and serving, many who firmly believe that a posse from the White House will come to our rescue for all our problems whether it is Pak, China or microscopic Maldives.