Indias Dirty Hand in Maldivian Politics

On the night of January 17, during the hours of the

very early morning past midnight, police entered
the residence of then-Defence Minister Mohamed
Nazim and produced a 9mm pistol, its magazine,
and three bullets. It is reported that an improvised
explosive device was also found in his home. The
Police Commissioner has also released several
photographs depicting the items claimed to be
found in Mr Nazims home.
However, the truth is still unclear.
Since then, on January 20, Mr Nazim was accused
of conspiring to overthrow the government by
taking arms against the State and subsequently
dismissed from his post as Defence Minister.
Twenty-three days later, the police had completed
their investigation of Mr Nazims case and had
forwarded it to the Prosecutor Generals office.
Soon after, he was suddenly and quickly arrested
long past midnight last night and taken to the
detention facility in Dhoonidhoo.
The question arises: why was Mr Nazim allowed
his freedom for the entire duration of the
investigation and arrested only after it had been forwarded to the PG office? Although if asked,
the investigative team will be able to produce a good corner-cutting response.
The lawyers would have such a response prepared, too. This is why Mr Nazims lawyer,
Maumoon Hameed says: If the investigation has been completed, the evidence must be clearly
shown. Mr Nazim has refused to answer any questions, and is maintaining that since this
investigation has been completed, the police would not ask him any further questions.
How about we leave the investigation into Mr Nazims case aside and give the accusations made
against him a second thought? This is not to avoid his sudden arrest during his initial period of
freedom, but because there are several theories from difference sources regarding this
particular incident.
Some people see the entire case against Mr Nazim and the accusations made against him as an
elaborately staged conspiracy against him. Others believe that Mr Nazim had far-sightedly been
planning the downfall of current President Abdulla Yameen. There is a lot of talk from both
camps on social media. If we were to join together the many claims made on social media, we
may even stumble onto a conspiracy theory of sorts, not to say that such a theory is necessarily
true.
If we put together all the social media talk together regarding Mr Nazims case, we go in an
entirely different direction. Lets start there?

The Maldives has a strategic location that is very important for many powerful bodies in the
world. Included among said bodes would be India, China, and the USA. Among them, the two
countries that work hardest to keep the strategic power of this remote location are India and
China. Both countries are ever vigilant lest another competing power may take control or
increase influence in the Maldives; always watching for any shift in influence of either one of
them in the country.
Tensions between India and China regarding the Maldives are high.
Ex-President Mohamed Nasheed is favoured by India. However, they did not much like his
successor; the American-educated Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik. The crux of the
problem was the GMR controversy and the decrease of Indian influence in Maldivian politics.
Despite their dislike of Dr Waheed, they couldnt abandon their interest in the Maldives. They
had to cultivate pro-Indian sympathizers.
Instead of attempting to propitiate India, then-President Dr Waheed attempted to implement a
more Sinophilic foreign policy. This was upsetting to India, and they worked to devise ways of
increasing their foothold in the Maldives.
Indias response to ex-President Nasheeds seeking refuge in the Indian High Commission in
Maale is sufficient to prove the truth of the above claims. Therefore, if the views of those who
favour the conspiracy-theory interpretation of Mr Nazims case have any truth to them: then we
have some grounds to look to India as a potential conspirator.
Someone writes on his Twitter page. This is my opinion: After President Mohamed Nasheeds
government fell, Mohamed Nazim became the Defence Minister in Dr Waheeds cabinet as a
powerful, second-to-none cabinet member.
The Tweep further writes: If we were to draw and analyse a chart of Minister Nazims travels
and the relationship that India and China had with the Maldives--and if the accusations made
against him are true, then we can say that these potential attempts were organized and
supported by certain external powers.
Once Dr Waheed grew a little distant from India and came a little closer to China, it is wellestablished that China expressed interest in investing in the Maldives. It is also known that they
were prepared to aid the Maldives in different avenues. The result of this was that on December
20, 2012: India, suddenly, assigned a special Defence Attache to the Maldives.
The Hindustan Times, reporting on this assignment, wrote that [New Delhi] will keep a close
watch on Chinese and American manoeuvres in the island nation.
It is very strange for India to assign a Defence Attache for the Maldives. This is the first time
that India would have assigned a special advisor to the Maldives. This would also be the first
time that a Defence Advisor would have taken office in a foreign nations High Commission in
the Maldives. India assigned this position to Captain R.S. Sunil, not an ordinary sort of man.
Once Captain Sunil took office, talks about military programmes organized by both Maldives and
India surfaced. There came increasing talk about strengthening the political and military bond
between the Maldives and India. While President Waheed was facing China-wards, Minister
Nazim became Indias blue-eyed boy.

Another story. When the bid for launching a special satellite for the Maldives was announced,
out of the six companies that made offers: the most promising of them came from a Chinese
company. India was not pleased. Suddenly, India began to prepare for the talks regarding the sale
of space to the Maldives required for the orbit of the satellite. Indian newspapers began to
publish New Delhis concern regarding Chinas growing influence in South Asian countries, and
specifically influence through the field of aeronautics and aerospace projects.
Tweeps appear to agree that this was the tipping point which drove Minister Nazim away from
China and into the favour of New Delhi. Therefore, in every issue for which President Waheed
attempted to bring China into the Maldives, India intervened with Minister Nazim as an
intermediary. The talk of visas comes up. Talk of aggregate for construction, and petroleum
comes up.
It is more than a few people who accuse Minister Nazim of having meetings with Captain Sunil in
Maale. There are accusations of meetings between Minister Nazim, Captain Sunil, and the Indian
High Commissioner Rajiv Sahare regarding claiming a portion of Maldivian territory for India.
These accusations are unconfirmed.
President Waheed stepped down from office during a time when New Delhi was worried that
he may serve a second term. On the other hand, New Delhi had not quite understood what
kind of a man President Yameen would be. With regards to Maldivian politics, India had basically
given one hand to Mr Nasheed and another to Mr Yameen. They did not have much concern for
Mr Qasim Ibrahim.
Despite Indias expectations, President Yameen turned out to be much more hard-headed than
Ex-President Dr Waheed. Having left diplomacy aside, he went straight for China. It is assumed
that President Yameen is very much inspired by Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa, then the President of Sri
Lanka.
President Yameen and his officials began talks with China, and the ways for Chinese investment
in the Maldives in various forms were being paved. He signed the Silk Route agreement with
China, and completely depended on China for the airport runway and bridge projects.
For the first time, the Maldives was visited by the Chinese head of state.
While all this was happening, Minister Nazim had nothing to do with China. Instead, he was
working on developing North Thilafalhu, establishing a large area for petroleum storage there,
and constructing apartment buildings to house MNDF servicemen. Indian newspapers have
claimed that tourist resorts, hotels, and a yacht marina were planned for that region by India.
Indian newspapers have also mentioned the establishment of a 7.7 billion USD dockyard there.
India offered gifts of teams of doctors, promises to expand the military hospital, radar systems
for different regions of the Maldives, and others. In summary, President Yameen went towards
China, his Defence Minister went towards India.
On December 4, 2014: a fire broke out at Male Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) cutting
off the supply of fresh water to the entire city of Maale, thus beginning the infamous Maale
Water Crisis. Some say that prior to the crisis, high officials from India had met with and spoken
to Minister Nazim multiple times.
Some believe that these officials belonged to the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Indias
foreign intelligence agency.

Such people claim that the Maale Water Crisis was deliberately orchestrated. The Crisis hit
when neither the President nor the Vice-President were in the country. Coincidentally, it would
seem, Minister Adeeb; claimed by some to be the most powerful minister in President Yameens
cabinet; was also out of the country.
If something were to happen: the timing was perfect that Minister Nazim was the best person to
take charge of matters.
Of course, Im not saying that this is what happened.
People begin to ask questions at this point. How could a well-established, strong corporation
like the MWSC have such a sudden and severe fire-related incident? Was it arson? Some people
have suspicions that it was. Why were the police late to arrive on the scene? When the police
finally did arrive, why did they not take the standard paperwork with them? People say that the
police were late to arrive on scene by approximately one and a half hours.
There is also something else in all these stories. The panel board was intensely sprayed with
water, the forensics team were barred from entering the scene until any evidence; had there
been any; would have been washed away. The President later issued a command to investigate
this particular incident.
In addition, when journalists were officially forbidden from entering the scene; it was Home
Minister Umar Naseer who authorized access for journalists--an action which was out of the
net, as per his own words.
The first night of the Crisis: some shops in Maale were robbed. When shopkeepers started to
raise the prices of bottled water, people became understandably upset and angry. Some political
activists were preparing to come out to the streets in protest. In an overpopulated city,
currently in the worst stage of a water crisis, such a protest could have lead to chaos.
When the people take to the streets in frustration and rage, the government cannot remain
silent.
Its not a few people who say that chaos, and maybe bloodshed, was averted that night when
Maale received heavy rainfall which flooded the streets of the city. Instead of taking to the
streets in rage against the government, people ran to collect fresh, potable rainwater as it fell
from the sky. The streets became flooded to the extent that it would have been difficult to walk
around in the city that night.
President Yameen returned to the country that night, as well.
At that point, was there any reason why an Indian warship would be travelling through the
Maldives with a ready cargo of fresh drinking water? In the past, when over a 100 islands in the
Maldives face a water crisis, none of these warships come to their rescue.
Next is the issue of the funds. The sum total of funds that were claimed to be required to repair
the damages, and the way to collect those funds, was an issue that cast heavy aspersions on the
intentions of the Yameen adminstration in the eyes of some observers.
While all of this was happening, why is the management of the MWSC silent, to this day, about
what happened?
Why was the Managing Director of the MWSC, who was a member of the task force along with
Minister Nazim, dismissed from his job?

Why did the police raid Minister Nazims residence in broad daylight?
These are questions.
Is it not reasonable to question whether a foreign power has some influence or involvement
with the pistol found in Minister Nazims home, as well as the Water Crisis? And does the
Water Crisis not seem like a coup attempt that didnt go according to plan on account of heavy
rain?