India Out campaign
Date: 12 July 2021 Tags: India & WorldIssue
India High Commission in Maldives has asked authorities to take action against various social media posts that degraded dignity of the High Commission and diplomats.
Background
A letter written from the High Commission had been leaked recently, which had highlighted that such incidence would impact mutual relationships.
Details
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The letter caused uproar in political circles and the government was forced to reply to the letter. It expressed concern over malicious campaign against Indian diplomats.
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A specific publication known as Dhiyares was pointed out to be at the centre of the incident. It was accused of anti-India campaign through political motivation.
Anti-India protests
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A specific event had started some time ago known as ‘India Out’ campaign. It started on ground and later spread to social media platforms.
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Some participants in the campaign say that it was for removing Indian military presence from the country and not violent clashes with India.
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The campaign was nearly a decade old when Abdulla Yameen was the President. There were widespread anti-India protests as the government was pro-China.
The origin
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The issue originated when India gifted two Dhruv helicopters for humanitarian and rescue operations. Some in anti-Indian circles portrayed it as militarization.
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The Yameen government had asked India to take back the helicopters which India refused. This was the reason for the controversy.
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The defence agreements signed between the new Maldivian government and India have not been made public. This has further fuelled the protests.