look news india
The first batch of Indian soldiers deployed in Maldives has returned to India. According to the information, the Indian soldiers who were piloting the helicopter gifted to Maldives have left for their country. Before leaving, the soldiers have handed over the important responsibility of operating the helicopters to the technical expert staff of India.
25 soldiers just came back
25 soldiers have returned to India from Maldives. These troops were deployed in the atoll south of Addu city. Last month, in the joint meeting of both the sides, it was agreed on the withdrawal of Indian troops from March 10. Indian soldiers from other places will return by May 10. At present there has been no confirmation on this from the Defense Ministry.
Moijju came to power with the slogan of boycott India
President Mohammed Moizzu came to power last year with a slogan of boycotting Maldives by India. He took office in September with a pledge to expel Indian security forces deployed to patrol the maritime border. Last week, Muizzu had said that no Indian soldier would remain in Maldives after May 10. Neither in uniform nor in plain clothes. I say this with confidence.
India had placed this condition
There were 89 Indian soldiers deployed in the Maldives, operating three Indian aircraft – two helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft. Now the technical team is taking their place. There was a meeting between Maldives and India on 2 February. In which India was ready to call its soldiers on the condition that it would keep the same number of soldiers to operate helicopters for its citizens.
What is India's concern?
India is suspicious of China's growing presence in the Indian Ocean and its influence in the Maldives and neighboring Sri Lanka. Both South Asian island nations are strategically located in the middle of the East-West International Shipping Lane. Relations between the ML and New Delhi have soured since Moijju won the elections in September. New Delhi considers the Indian Ocean archipelago as its sphere of influence, but Maldives is in China's lap.
