THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 25 September 2020 Friends and neighbours (The Hindu)

Friends and neighbours (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: International Relations 
Prelims level: Status of Forces Agreement
Mains level: Bilateral agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Context:

• The signing of a defence agreement between the Maldives and the United States earlier this month showed how geopolitical tensions are manifestingthemselves in several strategic spaces, and how Delhi’s own responses have changed in the new environment.

Defence and security relationship: 

• The “Framework for U.S. Department of Defence-Maldives Ministry of Defence and Security Relationship” agreement is emblematic.
• In 2013, a year after Maldivian Democratic Party leader Mohammed Nasheed had been ousted, a US proposal for a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the Indian Ocean nation met with stiff opposition in Delhi.
• The plan was shelved, but Delhi, despite the heightened awareness of China’s growing influence in its neighbourhood, was not enthusedby the Obama “pivot to Asia”. Not any more.
• The agreement includes a security dialogue and “sets forth both countries’ intent to deepen engagement and co-operation in support of maintaining peace and security in the Indian Ocean”
• Delhi has made it clear that the broad framework agreement is “in line” with India’s overall interests and regional stability.
• After watching Male in a tight embrace with Beijing under the 2014-18 Abdulla Yameen government, Delhi’s response is one of quiet relief.
• It has also rampedup its bilateral engagement.

India’s contribution:

• Last month, India committed to providing $250 million in budgetary support to the Maldives to help it tideover the pandemic-induced economic crisis that has crippled tourism.
• Delhi is also providing a $400 m line of credit for the construction of what is billed as the single-largest infrastructure project in the Maldives, the Greater Male Connectivity project, which aims to provide streamlined connectivity between Male and three other islands.
• Maldives is also the only neighbouring country with whom India has a travel bubble.
• Most significant is the cargo ferry service between the two countries inaugurated earlier this week.
• Three years ago, the Maldives government had entered into a Free Trade Agreement with China in response to European trade sanctions against the authoritarian Yameen government.
• But the successor government of President Ibrahim Solih decided not to bring in the enabling legislation because it was heavily loaded against the import dependent economy.
• There is a lesson in this for Delhi: For the cargo service to be useful to both sides, India must take care to ensure that it is not perceived to be dumping goods on that country.
• There is bound to be asymmetry, but if that is what making friends of neighbours entails, so be it.

Conclusion:

• Ramped up engagement with Maldives, US-Maldives defence pact, point to a reset of equations. Delhi needs to build on it.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the revised guidelines by election commission of India on criminalization of polity, consider the following statements:
1. As per the revised guidelines, the candidates as well as the political parties, regarding candidates nominated by them, will publish the details of criminal antecedents, if any, in newspapers and television.
2. The first publicity will be within the first four days of the last date of withdrawal of candidature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:

Q.1)What are the recent defence agreements between US-Maldives? What are the implications on India? Highlights the concern associated with the growing influence of China in the Maldives. What are the various steps taken by India to strengthen relations with the Maldives?