The miniscule handful of persons trying to tarnish the perspective of Maldivians towards India and spread hatred among the Maldivian people, does not represent the true sentiments and emotions of Maldivians towards India, says High Commissioner Sunjay Sudhir.
The High Commissioner of India made this remark in an interview with RaajjeMV, at the India-Maldives Roundtable “Connect to Travel” meeting held at Hotel Gen on Tuesday evening. The meeting was convened by India in Maldives, in collaboration with the Ministry of tourism and the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Cooperation (MMPRC).
HC Sudhir was questioned regarding his stand on the anti-India campaigns circulated by some groups on social media, to which he responded that the “pool of goodwill” which is observed in the Maldives towards India, is "just immense".
He added that the kind of fondness Maldivians have in their heart towards India, its culture and people, is “immense”.
Well, my stand is very clear, the pool of goodwill which we see in Maldives is immense, it is just immense, the kind of fondness Maldivians have in their hearts for India, Indian culture and for Indians, is immense. What you’re talking about is perhaps one or two or three media outlets which have made it their profession to speak about anti-Indian sentiment, but this, I don’t see reflected in any way in the mainstream and responsible media, ever”Sunjay Sudhir, High Commissioner of India to Maldives.
The High Commissioner stated that it is perhaps a few media outlets which have “made it their profession” to speak ill of India and spread the poison among the people of Maldives.
Highlighting that India has been the first responder in every crisis facing Maldives, Sudhir stated that when there is a crisis and people really need medical attention, “the door they knock on is India's”.
Shedding light on the multiple developmental projects going on, as well as the assistance the Indian government has extended towards Maldives in the face of Covid-19 and the reopening of Indian borders for medical tourism, the High Commissioner stated that there is no room for true and genuine “anti-India sentiment”.
Because with so many projects happening, with Covid-19 assistance, with opening of Indian borders for medical tourism, I mean, just name one more country, any other country which has opened doors, its only India. When there is a crisis, when you know people really need medical attention, the door they knock is India, when there is any crisis in this country which we’ve seen in the past, several decades, its India that comes as a first responder, Covid-19 vaccine when the world was languishing for vaccine, we supplied 100,000 vaccine doses within 48 hours. How can there be any genuine anti-India sentiment?”Sunjay Sudhir, High Commissioner of India to Maldives.
Expressing that he does not sense any real ill perspectives towards India, HC Sudhir noted that it is just “some professional people” who criticize India and spread poison and hatred among the people for a living, who are responsible for this. However, he noted that it is “miniscule” and does not represent the genuine emotions of Maldivians towards India.
I don’t sense any genuine anti-India sentiment at all, it’s just these professional people who earn a living by criticizing India and spreading this poison and hatred among people, who are responsible for this. But then this is a miniscule, this does not represent the mainstream of Maldivian emotion towards India, which I think is very, very positive. And I’m grateful to the people of Maldives and the government of Maldives for that.”Sunjay Sudhir, High Commissioner of India to Maldives.
