Has Smut Come of Age?

While there are laws dealing with obscenity, OTT platforms with frontal nudity and lesbian and homosexual acts seem to have democratised it. Social change is liberalising views on it

 

Col R Hariharan | Columns| Magazine| India Legal |October 27, 2023 

https://www.indialegallive.com/magazine/obscenity-laws-kamasutra-gita-govinda-ott-nudity/

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court recently held that wearing short skirts, dancing provocatively or making gestures cannot be considered obscene acts as per Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860. 

In Lalita Bais & Ors vs State of Maharashtra, Justices Vinay Joshi and Valmiki Sa Menezes, while quashing an FIR against five individuals booked for watching a dance performance by women wearing short clothes, preferred “taking a progressive view in the matter” and were “unwilling to leave such a decision in the hands of police officials”.

They added: “We often witness this manner of dress in films that pass censorship or at beauty pageants held in broad public view, without causing annoyance to any audience. Surely the provisions of Sec 294 of the IPC (obscenity) would not apply to this situation.”

The judgment validates Yale Law School professor Grant Gilmore’s observation in his book The Ages of American Law: “Law reflects but in no sense determines the moral worth of a society. The better the society, the less law there will be. In heaven there will be no law, and the lion shall lie down with the lamb.”

Of course, this was not the first time the courts or society tried to come to terms with “obscenity”. Theoretically, it should not be difficult in the land where Vatsyayana wrote the world’s oldest sex manual Kamasutra. Across India, sculptors of yore immortalised Kamasutra in stone on the walls of temples such as in  Khajuraho. The Bhakti cult classic Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda visualised the deep spiritual state of longing as intense love of the gopis (cowherd maidens) for Krishna. In 19th century Avadh, the kotha (bordello) culture was accepted as the hallmark of high society. Actually, India that was Bharat, with diverse religions, races, languages and cultural traditions left it to local communities to observe decency, rather than codifying obscenity.

However, the advent of British colonialism governed by Christian moral principles, based on the story of Adam and Eve, codified obscenity in the Indian Penal Code 1860 (IPC) under Sections 292, 293 and 294. 

Section 292 says that any content would be considered obscene if it strikes at the lascivious, voyeuristic, salacious or lustful interests of a person and consequently depraves or sexually corrupts a person likely to read, see or hear it. Section 293 deals with the offence of publication, selling, distributing, exhibiting and circulating obscene objects. Section 294 deals with obscene acts and songs to the annoyance of others and in public places.

Since then, there have been a number of enactments to tackle obscenity in keeping with society’s quest for protecting gender equity and children’s rights. Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act, 1956, seeks to punish a person who advertises or makes known by any means whatsoever that harmful publications can be procured from or through any person.

The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition Act), 1986, was enacted to punish coarse representation of women in advertisements. It refers to “the illustration in any other manner of the figure of women; her form or any other part indecently or outrageous to or denigrating women, or is likely to deprive, corrupt or injure the public virtue or morals”. One has to pity law enforcing officers saddled with the task of going through the semantic jugglery of words “deprive, corrupt or injure the public virtue or morals” to file a chargesheet under this Section.

Advances in communication technology have opened up new avenues of legal quest to save public morals from obscenity. Information technology domains are now universally accessible and are being brought to account for the legality of their contents. There is an ongoing struggle for governments everywhere, including India, on how to tame the IT giants to conform to country-specific laws.  

Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008, Section 67(A) seeks to punish publication of sexual content on a social media site. Perhaps Section 67(B) of the amendment seeks to arm the war against child pornography. It makes it clear that not only publication and viewing, but also possession of such pornographic material is punishable. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) specifically addresses the offence of sexting a minor or sending them obscene content in the form of pictures, videos, films, etc.

But the advent of OTT platforms revolutionised access of the common man to international media, particularly movies. I am reliving my juvenile fascination for Wild West movies to watch John Wayne, grunting his dialogue even as he puts a bullet in the forehead of villains like Lee Van Cleef or Eli Wallach. Who can forget the wiry Clint Eastwood, chewing a cigar, shooting his way through The Good, the Bad and the Ugly?  

That is not all. Mothers, who in yesteryears frowned upon sleeveless blouses in the 60s (remember Waheeda Rehman’s Bollywood quote on the subject), are casually accepting their daughters appearing in string bikinis in pro­vocative poses in Instagram. The generation that was aghast at the partial nudity displayed by Zeenat Aman in Satyam Shivam Sundaram in the 70s is seen dozing off in front of scenes of frontal nudity, lesbian and homosexual acts on OTTs as part of their afternoon fare.

Obscenity, it seems, has come of age. With the introduction of 3D technology in the coming years, judges are going to find it more and more difficult to legally define obscenity. Society’s increasing acceptance of yesterday’s obscene scenes as current day norms on OTT platforms raises a few questions. Is obscenity getting democratised, thanks to the electronic technology revolution in the media? It would appear so. Or is it social evolution that is coming to terms with the human body? Probably, it is the technology revolution, aided by electronic media that is hastening the change in social perceptions of obscenity. In other words, the dynamics of social change is “liberalising” views on obscenity. 

Will smut gain acceptance in popular media? I hope not, because it will make the scribe’s job more difficult. Novelist Ernest Hemingway vocalised the problem of writers on obscenity: “Here is the piece. If you can’t say fornicate, can you say copulate or if not that, can you say cohabit? If not that, I would have to say consummate I suppose. Use your own good taste and judgment.” That is sound advice. 

—The writer is a retired military intelligence specialist on South Asia associated with the Chennai Centre for China Studies

Sri Lanka: BRI dynamics & Politics of Cabinet reshuffle

Col R Hariharan | Sri Lanka Perspectives October 2023 | South Asia Security Trends November 2023 | www.security-risks.com

China’s Indian Ocean priorities

The month had been a busy one for President Ranil Wickremesinghe. He probably clocked more air mileage during October than any other president did before him. He travelled across continents to fulfil overseas engagements. As the Presidential Secretariat note on the 3^rd Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Forum says President Wickremesinghe attended the opening ceremony “in a show of solidarity.” During the visit, he met with President Xi Jinping, who assured China would provide “friendly, practical and timely support for Sri Lanka’s debt optimization programme.” China seems to have timed its decision to restructure Sri Lanka’s debts on the eve of the visit of the Sri Lanka head of state.

President Xi Jinping in his address at the inauguration of the meeting announced eight major steps China will take to support “the joint pursuit of high-quality BRI cooperation.” These steps include creating an international multilateral network, supporting “a global open economy”, practical cooperation strategies, promoting green development, fostering opportunities for science and technology innovation, enhancing interpersonal relations and encouraging “unbreakable ties among member countries.” In other words, creating a new world order as visualised by President Xi.

These steps are likely to increase the strategic importance of Sri Lanka for China. In particular, Sri Lanka will occupy a central role in building a multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network to integrate ports, shipping and trading services under the Silk Road Maritime. Similarly, Sri Lanka is likely to be geographically indispensable in building of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and the Air Silk Road. China will remove all restrictions.

President Wickremesinghe in his bilateral meeting with the Chinese President, expressed Sri Lanka’s hope to establish a maritime economic corridor linking China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and South Africa. It is interesting to note President Xi Jinping acknowledged the challenging nature of this endeavour and encouraged President Wickremesinghe to take the lead. It will be interesting to see how and when President Wickremesinghe proceeds to walk the talk and handle India’s reaction to it. 

The arrival of Shi Yan 6, the Chinese geophysical and seismic research ship, in Colombo Port on October 28 has to be viewed in the context of China’s growing strategic interest in Indian Ocean. India and the US had been expressing their concerns over the visit of Chinese dual use research ships ever since the research vessel Yuan Wang 5 visited Sri Lanka last year. Sri Lanka is reported have requested China to postpone the visit of Shi Yan 6 to November. Apparently, China has turned down the request. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the vessel has been authorised to carry out two-day survey of the Western waters off Colombo. A team of scientists from the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) is joining the Chinese researchers on board the vessel.

Of equal interest is the arrival of warships of other navies to Sri Lanka around the same time. Republic of Korea’s naval ship ROKS ‘Kwanggaeto the Great’ arrived at Colombo port on October 26 on a formal visit. The Korean warship was to depart the island on October 28. Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer Akebono (DD 108) also arrived at the Trincomalee harbour on an official visit on October 28. The warship was to leave on October 31, to take part in an exercise with Sri Lankan Naval ship off Trincomalee.

President Wickremesinghe’s tight ropewalk to balance the relations with India and China is likely to get tougher when President Xi Jinping starts implementing the eight major steps referred to “the joint pursuit of high-quality BRI cooperation.” The strategic ripples that surrounded the visit of Chinese maritime research ship Shi Yan 6 to Colombo during the month is perhaps the forerunner of the strategic conundrum Sri Lanka will be facing in the coming months, if not years.  

Politics of cabinet rejig

On the home front, President Wickremesinghe carried out the much- awaited Cabinet reshuffle. He replaced the controversial health minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who survived a no confidence motion against him after allegations of incompetence and corruption in procurement of medicines surfaced. In his place, the President appointed the better qualified Dr Ramesh Pathirana as Minister for Health. He will be the minister for health in addition to the portfolio of industries he is already holding. Similarly, Minister for Agriculture Amaraweera will now hold the additional portfolio of plantation industries. The President’s reshuffle exercise seems to have satisfied neither the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) nor the opposition parties. SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam expressing the party’s disappointment, criticised the President for ignoring the SLPP’s significant support while allocating ministerial berths. It is possible the President may carry out yet a minor cabinet reshuffle to retain SLPP support.

However, Rambukwella, despite the allegations of corruption, has been retained as Minister for Environment. This sends a strong message that his continued influence within the party and the government.

Election schedule

President Wickremesinghe fulfilled yet another popular expectation with the announcement of election schedule at the UNP convention. As per the schedule the presidential and the parliamentary elections will be held in 2024, followed by provincial council elections in 2025. His speech at the convention convened to rejuvenate the party as “smart” one, was probably a curtain raiser of his election agenda.

He explained the dire circumstances in which he became President and listed his achievements. The seasoned leader sent an ominous warning of the future. He said “We must confront this reality and seek answers. Some parties advocate for constitutional changes, while others call for reforms in the presidency and government. They request a change in leadership. However, I want to convey one thing: I cannot rejuvenate this country without the support of other political parties….” A month more and Sri Lanka will usher in an election year. As mandated in the Constitution, presidential elections are scheduled for the second half. The second tranche of the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) is expected anytime now. The budget is less than two weeks away. A nation waits in suspense…”

Suspense indeed, not for the people, but for the political class (including the SLPP), who are probably in a tizzy to find a suitable challenger to take on Wickremesinghe seeking one more term.

On the economic front, the good news is the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has given a conditional nod to the staff level agreement for Sri Lanka to gain access to SDR 254 million (about $330 million), subject to the approval of the IMF Executive Board. The two IMF conditions are: a) implementation of all prior actions b) completion of financing assurances on debt restructuring in a timely manner. These are more easily said than done. Anti-Corruption Act was passed in July 2023 to comply with IMF conditions; however, cases of corruption continue to be reported in media. Two crypto fund companies have been approved to operate in the special economic zone of Colombo Port City. World over crypto fund operations have been mired in cases of money laundering. Enforcing anti-corruption mandate is going to be a little more difficult with homegrown access to crypto operations in SEZ, outside the pale of laws of the land.   

Col R Hariharan, a retired MI specialist on South Asia and terrorism, served as the head of intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka 1987-90. He is associated with the Chennai Centre for China Studies. Email: haridirect@gmail.com  Website: https://col.hariharan.info]    

Many Shades of Israel’s War against Hamas

Col R Hariharan |Magazine| Special | October 13, 2023| India Legal

https://www.indialegallive.com/magazine/israel-hamas-gaza-strip-india-china-usa-nato-saudi-arabia-iran/

 

The Hamas, the Islamic extremist group in control of the Gaza Strip, barely 400 sq km of land with 2.4 million people sealed off from the outside world by Israel armed forces, surprised the world with a lightning strike on Israel in the wee hours of October 7. The Hamas overcame Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system, firing 5,000 rockets, broke through the fences surrounding Gaza in the morning, attacking Israeli by land, sea and air, using mechanized hang gliders and motorbikes to storm hapless Jewish communities close to the border with Gaza.

The Hamas flooded the social media showing scenes of bravado, including the taking of 150 hostages and killing of innocent civilians—women and children—shouting Allahu Akbar. A TikTok video circulating showed Israeli Rear Admirals, Brigadier Generals and Lt Generals “captured” by the Hamas.

Israel is in a state of war, declared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and vowed to destroy the Hamas. Probably, he considers it an opportunity to settle scores with the Hamas. As defence minister, Netanyahu had quit over Ariel Sharon’s government’s decision to forcibly remove nearly 10,000 Israeli citizens from the settlements in Gaza, after handing over governance to Palestine authority in 2005.

Israel has recalled 3,00,000 reservists to join the army even as it hunted out the Hamas infiltrators in communities close to the Gaza border. Israeli rockets and missiles hit suspected Hamas hideouts in Gaza, flattening many multi-storey buildings. According to Israeli media by Day 6 of the attack, at least 1,300 Israelis have been killed and over 7,400 people in all wounded. The Gaza Health Ministry said 447 children and 248 women were among the 1,417 Palestinians killed by Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The IDF said it is holding 1,500 bodies of militants. And the body count is likely to grow as the end of war is nowhere in sight. Over 3,30,000 people in Gaza have been forced to flee their homes after Israel rockets and bombs hit residential buildings, according to the UN. Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz has said there will be no supply of electricity, fuel or water to Gaza until the Hamas releases Israelis taken as hostages. And UN experts have warned of impending human disaster when Israel launches its ground offensive in Gaza.

Netanyahu has announced the forming of an “emergency government” with Opposition leader Benny Gantz, a former defence minister and army chief for the duration of the war. The three-member “war cabinet” would include Netanyahu, Gantz and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The IDF is preparing for the widely expected ground offensive in Gaza. Media reports indicate tens of thousands of Israeli forces have been massed along the Gaza border and also along the northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah, the Shia militant group, is based in Lebanon. There is a general expectation that it could join in the war, when the IDF launches its ground offensive in Gaza.

In a chilling statement, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, while addressing the troops deployed along the Gaza border, asserted that Gaza will “never go back to what it was”. He said: “I have released all the restraints. We have regained control of the area and we are moving to a full offence. You will have the ability to change the reality here. You have seen the prices being paid and you will get to see the change. Hamas wanted a change; it will change 180 degrees from what it thought.” “They will regret this moment, Gaza will never go back to what it was,” he added. The minister said that Israel with all its might and without compromise, would eliminate “whoever comes to decapitate, murder women, Holocaust survivors.”

Gallant was echoing the words of Interior Minister Eli Yishai’s comment when Operation Pillar of Defense was launched in November 2012. Yishai said: “The goal of the operation is to send Gaza back to the Middle Ages.” It seems Gaza has now bounced back from the Middle Ages, after 11 years to haunt Israel and yet another Israeli minister.

Intelligence Failure

Lt General Herzi Halevi, IDF chief of staff, has admitted to shortcomings that allowed Hamas’ incursion and significant casualties on Saturday. The Times of Israel quoted him as saying: “The IDF is responsible for the security of the country and its citizens, and on Saturday morning in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip, we did not handle it. We will learn, we will investigate, but now is the time for war.”

But the IDF may not be wholly responsible. In a way, the Hamas’ war was waiting to happen as PM Netanyahu has been increasing “the pressure cooker syndrome” of Palestinians living on the West bank, eating into their territory relentlessly to settle new Jewish communities. This could have drawn the focus of the IDF on the West Bank. While the PM’s right-wing supporters applauded him, political preoccupation seems to have ignored the ever-present security threat posed by the Hamas.

The Chairman of US House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul is reported to have told a closed door intelligence briefing that Egypt had warned Israel three days earlier that “an event like this could happen.” Undoubtedly, Shin Bet, responsible for internal security, and the legendary Mossad, known for its intelligence exploits, both seem to have failed.

In a podcast on BBC Radio, Sir Alex Younger, former head of MI6, called it “the failure of imagination”. He said there were two reasons why Israel’s intelligence had no knowledge of the impending attack. Firstly, “the really big failures that are labelled as intelligence failures…are in fact failures of imagination”. Citing 9/11 as a classic example, Younger said: “The assumption was not that we were vulnerable to anything in terms of this type of attack. The assumption was that it essentially wasn’t possible.”  He further added: “And it is my assumption therefore… that there will have been data breaking through, which probably could have been interpreted differently… but people were just not looking at it in that way.” This is what happened in the intelligence failure that led to 9/11 too!

Israel’s intelligence failure should caution Indian intelligence honchos and leadership, who depend upon information from multiple sources. They need to remember Albert Einstein’s words: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

International Dimension

Unmindful of all the complexities and calamities, security pandits from both sides are debating on the TV, the semantics of war and who is responsible for it. Geographically for over 75 years, the Levant has frequently faced the tectonics of war, more than any other part of the globe. So, the international dimension of the conflict is hogging the limelight. And its Indian dimension is of special interest as India-Israel relations have become closer than ever before in the last nine years. Just as the Ukraine War divided the world, the Israeli offensive against the Hamas also seems to have found its “us and they”.

The White House released a joint statement of leaders of the US, France, Germany, Italy and UK pledging “to support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and the surprise attacks by militant group Hamas”. They added that they recognised “the legitimate aspirations of the Palestine people”, but said the Hamas offered “nothing for the Palestine people other than more terror and bloodshed.”

India was among the first countries to show solidarity with Israel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an X message on October 7 wrote: “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.” India’s gesture has been appreciated by Israel. On the other hand, China seems to have disappointed Israel, when it issued a vanilla statement. It called on “relevant parties to remain calm, exercise restraint and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians and avoid further deterioration of the situation”. Later President Xi Jinping tried to strengthen the statement to condemn “all violence and attacks on civilians” without specifically naming the Hamas.

NATO countries have told Israel’s defence minister that they stood by his country after the attack by the Hamas, but urged his forces to respond with “proportionality”. However, after the defence ministers’ meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was unequivocal in his support to Israel. After condemning the Hamas’ “indefensible attack on civilians,” he called for the immediate release of all hostages. He added: “Israel has the right to defend itself and as the conflict unfolds, the protection of civilians is essential.” He cautioned: “No nation or organisation hostile to Israel should seek to take advantage of the situation or to escalate the conflict.”

The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the “ongoing Israeli military aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip”. It considered the brutal aggression against the Palestinian people a blatant international and humanitarian law violation and “a war crime”. Did OIC’s stand reflect Saudi Arabia’s views as it is headquartered in Jeddah?

Some clarity emerged when Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the Palestine-Israeli conflict on October 11. In a telephone conversation, they discussed the need to end war crimes against Palestine, according to Iranian state media. The Saudi crown prince “affirmed the Kingdom is making all possible efforts in communicating with all international and regional parties to stop the ongoing escalation” according to the Saudi state news agency.

Qatar’s foreign ministry’s blame of Israel for the recent escalation of violence with the Palestinians is not surprising as the Hamas headquarters is located in Qatar. It called for restraint from both sides and urged the international community to prevent Israel from using these events as a pretext for a disproportionate war against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

India’s Support to Israel

India was one of the first countries to recognise the Palestinian cause; in fact, India had been one of its biggest supporters in international forums. India established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992. Despite this, their relations had been at a low key, as it was hyphenated with Arab countries’ support to Palestine.

However, India-Israel relations became closer and multifaceted after PM Modi came to power in 2014. Modi was the first Indian PM to visit Israel in July 2017, when the two countries signed seven MoUs. The MoUs covered a wide range of subjects, ranging from industrial innovation, water conservation to cooperation on diverse subjects like electric propulsion of small satellites. The visit of PM Netanyahu, a year later, further reinforced the relations.

These visits paved the way for various Israeli unicorns to operate in India. In 2020, Israel’s National Cyber Directorate and Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) decided to enhance capacity building initiatives. The relations between the two countries were further cemented when India joined Israel, USA and UAE to form the I2-U2 grouping in 2022. This paved the way for close cooperation for joint initiatives in a number areas in water, energy, transportation, space, health and food security sectors.

Over the years, Israel has emerged as the biggest defence supplier, next only to Russia. With Israel’s collaboration India has been able to develop and produce state-of-the-art systems such as Barak 8 surface to air defence missiles, Skystriker drones, etc. In May 2023, India and Israel signed a Vision on Defence Cooperation statement during the visit of the Israeli defence minister. It formalised further collaboration and production of a whole range of defence equipment, particularly in development of UAVs and light combat aircraft and helicopters, so essential to guard our Himalayan frontiers. Israel’s close involvement in India’s defence preparedness has to be understood while studying the relations between the two countries. This is more so, when Israel is confronting an Islamic terror group like the Hamas, even as India continues to support a just deal for the Palestine people.

India clarified its stand in a carefully worded statement issued by its Ministry of External Affairs, reiterating the country’s support for a sovereign, independent and viable Palestine state. It described the Hamas assault on Israel as terrorist attacks, adding clarity to India’s position on the subject.[RH1] 

—The writer is a retired military intelligence specialist on South Asia associated with the Chennai Centre for China Studies

---

 [RH1]

No Option For Muizzu But to Maintain Functional Relationship With India: Ex-Intel Office

Dhairya Maheshwari | Sputnik Opinion | October 6, 2023

https://sputniknews.in/20231006/no-option-for-muizzu-but-to-maintain-functional-relationship-with-india-ex-intel-officer-4633917.html

 

Both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping were among the first world leaders to congratulate Maldives’ President-elect Mohamed Muizzu after his election win.

Maldives’ incoming President Mohamed Muizzu has urged the outgoing administration headed by Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to put a hold on “execution of bilateral conventions and agreements”, according to a letter cited in Maldivian media on Thursday.

The decision comes as the Maldivian President-elect doubled down on his election campaign pledge to expel foreign troops from the Indian Ocean nation since winning the presidential runoff last weekend.

Muizzu, who represents a coalition of Progressive Party of Maldives and People’s National Congress (PNC), has been a backer of the ‘India Out’ campaign while in opposition. New Delhi has denounced the ‘India Out’ campaign, amid threats against Indian diplomats and interests on the archipelago.

India is the biggest defense capacity-building and a major development partner of the Maldives.

Since Muizzu’s election, the Indian government has called upon the incoming administration in Male to “collaborate closely to address shared challenges confronting our region”.

“The focus of our partnership with Maldives has always been on capacity building and working together to address our shared challenges and priorities, you know, including security challenges and priorities,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson told a regular briefing in New Delhi on Thursday

Sputnik India spoke to Colonel (retired) R Hariharan, formerly the head of intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka and a fellow at Chennai Centre for China Studies (C3S).

Edited excerpts:

Sputnik India: Why is Maldives critical for Indian interests in the Indian Ocean?

Hariharan: Maintaining good relations with India is more important for Maldives as it depends upon India for almost everything, as the smallest country in Asia with half a million population lacks resources, even freshwater. Tourism is its mainstay.

Maldives is a chain of 26 atolls, stretching from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south, spanning 90,000 sq km of territory across the Equator in the Arabian Sea. It is located 750 km Southwest of India and Sri Lanka.

Historically, Maldives has ethnic, religious and cultural connectivity with India and Sri Lanka. Maldives’ language Dhivehi is a dialect of Sinhala and with a script derived from Arabic. In fact, Minicoy the southernmost and second largest island in the Indian territory of Lakshadweep, has around 12,000 Mahl people of Maldives ethnicity.

Maldives-India relations have been close since colonial rule ended in 1965 and Maldives became a republic. India that responded immediately to President Maumoon Gayoom’s call for assistance to thwart a coup attempt in Maldives in 1988. India had been swift to provide help and succour during the 2004 tsunami and when the country faced a drinking water crisis in 2014.

The Indian Ocean’s strategic importance has gone up after President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was launched in 2013 to increase China’s strategic outreach across continents.

The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) forms the oceanic part of BRI infrastructural connectivity. It enables China to secure passage for its international maritime trade to pass through bottlenecks in the Indian Ocean.

Maldives and Sri Lanka are important pivots for the success of the MSR, more so after the Quad framework started taking shape to check increasing Chinese strategic presence in Indian Ocean.

President Xi Jinping was the first Chinese head of state to visit Maldives since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1972. His visit to Maldives on May 15, 2014, on his way to Sri Lanka and India, underlined the island nation’s importance in Xi’s strategic outreach under BRI.

Though Chinese companies had been involved in project contracting in Maldives since 1985, it made a quantum jump after former President Abdulla Yameen (a political ally of Muizzu), with a strong pro-China stance and marked hostility towards India came to power in 2013. Not only has Yameen responded to Xi’s invitation to join the MSR during his visit but also signed a free trade pact with China a few months later.

During Yameen’s tenure as President till 2018, a number of Chinese infrastructure and investment projects were executed. Male-Hulhumale bridge conceived in 2007. It was constructed by China Harbour Engineering Company at a cost of $210 million.

Similarly, Beijing Urban Construction Group replaced Indian contractor GMR, to complete the stalled Male International Airport expansion project at Hulhumale in 2018.

Sputnik India: How strong is the institutional defense partnership between India?

Hariharan: India-Maldives institutional defence partnership is well established.

Even during Abdulla Yameen’s rule tilted in favour of China, he signed the Indo-Maldivian Action Plan for defence. Under the agreement, India would install 26 radars on all the atolls to link up with the Indian coastal command. Indian Navy and the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) carry out joint surveillance and patrolling activities.

India-Maldives relations got a further boost after Prime Minister Narendra Modi adopted the “Neighbourhood First” Policy when he came to power in 2014.

India is involved in a number of major infrastructure projects like the Greater Male Connectivity project, cargo vessel services and capacity building and training of MNDF and Maldivian civil servants in India and the Gulhifalhu Port Project. Indian defence forces and MNDF regularly hold joint exercises.

India has supplied a Dornier surveillance aircraft to Maldives to keep an eye on foreign vessels traversing the Indian Ocean as well as casualty evacuation from isolated islands and prevent poaching and drug smuggling in Maldivian waters.

After the QUAD framework for Indo-Pacific security, the importance of the US military base at the atoll of Diego Garcia in Chagos archipelago, around 1,713 km from Maldives, has increased. This base was used during the US operations in Afghanistan.

Sputnik India: Should Muizzu be seen as pro-China? Do you expect Maldives to go closer to China as opposed to 'India First' policy of the outgoing Solih administration?

Hariharan: As explained earlier, President Muizzu has no option but to maintain a functional relationship with India, though he might be dubbed as pro-China (though he maintains he is pro-Maldives).

Muizzu has used the fictitious rhetoric of presence of foreign soldiers (a euphemism for Indian troops) during his election campaign. The Indian High Commission in Male has condemned such a malicious media campaign.

China has definitely staged a political comeback with the success of the Muizzu. His primary election campaign theme was removing Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives.

When the Indian Ambassador Munu Mahawar called upon Muizzu, he urged New Delhi to respect the decision of the people of Maldives to protect their sovereignty and independence.

At the meeting, he expressed confidence that India would cooperate on this matter. He also expressed hope that the Indian government would facilitate the easy repayment of loans taken by the current government of outgoing President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

In his remarks, the Indian Ambassador assured Muizzu of India's support and cooperation in various development fields in the Maldives. He also affirmed that India would fully respect the Maldives' sovereignty and expressed readiness to negotiate facilitating loan repayment.

We can expect Muizzu to take calculated steps to favour China, in preference to India.