Indian gifts naval ship to the Maldives

17 April 2006
www.haveeru.com.mv

MALE, April 17 (HNS) – The government of India has gifted its naval ship INS Tillanchang to the government of Maldives.

The official ceremony to hand over the craft was held Sunday morning at the Maldives Ports Authority pier. The craft was handed over to the National Security Service Coast Guard by Indian Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee.

The vessel was accepted on behalf of the government of Maldives by the Minister of Defence and National Security, Ismail Shafeeu.

The ship's new commissioning plaque was unveiled by the President. The ship was reincarnated under the Maldives flag. It was renamed, 'Huravee'.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Defence Minister of India, Pranab Mukherjee said that he was pleased to be visiting the Maldives. He noted that it was a privilege for him to be handing over INS Tillanchang to the NSS. Highlighting that the hand over ceremony was a landmark event in the bilateral relations between Maldives and India, the Indian Defence Minister stressed that the two countries had strong ties of culture and friendship that went back many centuries. Further, he said that the ties of friendship between the two Indian Ocean neighbours had matured with time, and that relations were today based on mutual respect, common interests and shared values.

In his speech at the ceremony, the Minister of Defence and National Security, Ismail Shafeeu thanked India for the considerable assistance that it had provided to the Maldives.
He elaborated that the Maldives had received Indian assistance in many social, cultural and economic areas, as well as in the maintenance of peace and security in the country. He added that the NSS had itself been the beneficiary of much assistance over the decades, particularly in human resource development.

Defence Minister Shafeeu recalled that 'Operation Cactus' carried out by the Indian defence forces following the terrorist attack on 3 November 1988 was the single most remarkable service rendered to the Maldivian people at a time of great need, but that it was one of many such services. He also said that the Indian government's decision to endorse such a vessel to the Maldives was an indication of the understanding that prevailed between the Maldives and India, and that it would serve as a symbol of the enduring friendship between both countries.

In his speech, the Defence Attache' of India, Captain Sooraj Berry expressed his confidence that the naval vessel would contribute to safeguarding the maritime interests and upholding the sovereignty of the Maldives.

Maldives Guide 

Maldivians want genuine democracy: Ibrahim Hussain Zaki

R.K. Radhakrishnan

 

 

Ibrahim Hussain Zaki — Photo: S. Thanthoni

 

CHENNAI : India should play a more active role in ensuring that true democracy is ushered in Maldives, said Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, vice president, Maldivian Democratic Party. Rather than strengthening the hands of a `dictator', India had a duty to promote democracy, he added.

"We are very disappointed and sad that today at this critical time of change in the Maldives, the Indian Government has given him [the President] a defence package… Much of this equipment is meant for the police. This will be used against us," he said, and added that the boat given by India was meant to patrol the seas looking for pirates and illegal trawling. "But he [the President] sent it to the Southern Atoll to attack people there. Several people were taken on board, brought to Male and put in jail," he told The Hindu on Tuesday.

He said most people in his country appreciated the socio-economic assistance extended by India. The Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and the Vocational Training Centre were fine examples. "We would like to strengthen our forces also. But not [when the country is] in the hands of a dictator," he said.

Mr. Zaki, who was a Minister in the Maumoon Abdul Gayoom Cabinet for about 10 years, said he joined the Cabinet so that he could save the country by working from within the system. "I thought I could really influence him to bring change from within," he said.

According to him, the day a young jailed activist was murdered — September 20, 2005 — was a turning point in the Maldivian political history. "That exposed the human rights violations in the country [to people abroad]," he said. The reaction of Maldivians was spontaneous: many came out on to the streets in protest and demanded justice.

"That was the start. Until then, Maldives was ruled with an iron fist," he said. As much as 78 per cent of the Maldivian population were below 35 and 99 per cent of the total population were literate. According to him they wanted genuine democracy and not what the President practised now.

The President was playing a game with India and China, Mr. Zaki alleged. President Gayoom was "much more comfortable with the Chinese" and warming up to China "in order to replace India."