On 8th January, the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) issued a press release condemning the derogatory remarks made by Maldivian Ministers on social media platforms directed towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India.
MATI deemed India as Maldives’ closest neighbour and ally in its statement. The association pointed out that India has always been the first responder to various crises the country faces. Pointing out that India is a significant contributor to the tourism industry in Maldives, the association reminded how India helped Maldives during the COVID-19 pandemic right after the borders were opened.
The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemns the derogatory comments made by some Deputy Ministers on social media platforms, directed towards the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi as well as the people of India: Maldives Association… pic.twitter.com/QJkAWBkKq6
— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2024
The statement read, “The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemns the derogatory comments made by some Deputy Ministers on social media platforms, directed towards the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi as well as the people of India.
India is one of our closest neighbours and allies. India has always been a first responder to various crises throughout our history and we are immensely grateful to the close relationship that the Government as well as people of India have maintained with us.
India has also been a consistent and significant contributor to the Tourism Industry of the Maldives. A contributor that has greatly assisted our recovery efforts during COVID-19, right after we re-opened our borders. Since then, India has continued to remain as one of the top markets for the Maldives.
It is our sincere wish that the close relationship between our two nations endures for generations to come and as such, we refrain from actions or speech that may have any negative impact on our good relationship.“
India-Maldives controversy
On 4th January, PM Narendra Modi shared some pictures of his recent visit to Lakshadweep as he encouraged people to explore the scenic island in what could be seen as a push to his ‘vocal for local’ slogan, and an effort to give a boost to tourism in the island.
Following PM Modi’s tweet posting stunning vistas from the Lakshadweep Islands, several social media users in India called for Indians to visit the place over foreign destinations, including the Maldives, which shares similar geographical characteristics as the Lakshadweep Islands.
That touched off bitter reactions from Maldivian counterparts, including governmental functionaries and prominent citizens, many of whom resorted to making churlish remarks against India, Indians, and the Indian PM. Mariyam Shiuna, Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts, recently made insulting remarks against PM Modi, referring to him as a ‘clown’ and a ‘puppet of Israel’ after he posted pictures from his visit to Lakshadweep Islands.
“What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr Narendra diver with a life jacket #VisitMaldives,” Shiuna tweeted. The post was deleted after backlash on X, formerly known as Twitter, where Indian social media users slammed the Maldives government officials, including Shiuna, for their crass remarks against the Indian Prime Minister. It is worth noting that PM Modi did not mention the Maldives anywhere in his tweets.
The government of Maldives suspended deputy ministers who used derogatory language on social media. Indians launched the “Boycott Maldives” campaign alongside celebrities and India-origin companies vouching for tourist destinations within India.
