Watch: Shashi Tharoor’s subtle praise for PM Modi on Maldives reset

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has offered what many viewed as a subtle endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India’s handling of ties with the Maldives, using the island nation as an example of how diplomacy is strengthened through actions rather than rhetoric.

Speaking at the Fletcher School, Tharoor recalled how India responded during a water crisis in the Maldives despite strained bilateral ties after President Mohamed Muizzu rose to power on an “India Out” campaign.

“In the last Maldives election, the guy who became president ran on a campaign of India Out,” Tharoor said in a video shared by his office on X. “Soon after, the only desalination plant in Maldives broke down and they had no water. India sent millions of litres of water without asking for anything. That’s how India builds trust.”

INDIA’S RESPONSE DURING MALDIVES WATER CRISIS

Elaborating on the episode, Tharoor said Muizzu’s government had initially moved to distance itself from India after coming to power, including cancelling contracts awarded to Indian companies and asking Indian personnel to leave.

However, he noted that India stepped in immediately when the Maldives faced a severe drinking water crisis after the breakdown of the desalination plant in Male.

“India, without hesitation, flew in plane loads of millions of litres of bottled drinking water to save them,” Tharoor said. “Didn’t ask for anything. It was just a gesture from a next-door neighbour.”

He added that the humanitarian assistance helped soften public sentiment towards India in the Maldives. “Trust gets built by actions,” he said.

FROM ‘INDIA OUT’ TO DIPLOMATIC RESET

Relations between India and the Maldives had sharply deteriorated after Muizzu assumed office in November 2023. The Maldivian leader had campaigned on an “India Out” plank and later sought the withdrawal of Indian military personnel stationed in the island nation.

Tensions further escalated in January 2024 after controversial social media posts by some Maldivian deputy ministers targeting PM Modi following his visit to Lakshadweep triggered outrage in India. The episode sparked a diplomatic row and renewed scrutiny of the Maldives’ growing proximity to China.

Despite the friction, India continued engagement with the strategically located island nation, which sits along key Indian Ocean shipping routes and has long been central to New Delhi’s “Neighbourhood First” policy.

India has historically acted as the Maldives’ first responder during crises – from the 1988 coup attempt and the 2004 tsunami to the 2014 Male water crisis.

MODI-MUIZZU MEETING SIGNALLED THAW

The sharpness in ties appeared to ease significantly during PM Modi’s visit to the Maldives in July 2025, where both sides publicly underlined the importance of the bilateral relationship.

“The roots of our relations are older than history and as deep as the ocean,” PM had said during talks with Muizzu, while reaffirming India’s support for the Maldives’ defence and development needs.

Muizzu, in turn, described India as the Maldives’ “closest and most trusted partner”, signalling a notable shift in tone from the early months of his presidency.

The two leaders discussed expanding cooperation in trade, defence, maritime security, healthcare and infrastructure, with PM Modi asserting that India-Maldives friendship would always “remain bright and clear” regardless of circumstances.

Tharoor’s remarks are significant because they echo the Modi government’s longstanding argument that India’s regional diplomacy is rooted in crisis support, development partnerships and humanitarian assistance rather than coercion.

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