India and the Maldives share long-standing diplomatic relations. New Delhi has consistently offered support to Male whenever the archipelago nation is hit with any crisis, be it humanitarian or security-related. The most recent example of assistance was witnessed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, where India provided valuable aid to Maldives in the form of vaccines.
New Delhi has a history of aiding the Maldives, an island nation with a population of nearly 500,000, including during the devastating 2004 tsunami. But perhaps the most exceptional illustration of India’s commitment to its neighbour was when Male was hit with a security crisis during the 1988 coup.
A group of Maldivian rebels on November 3, 1988, led by Abdullah Luthufi, and Sri Lanka’s People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) attempted to overthrow the government of then-President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in Maldives, a small island nation in the Indian Ocean.
President Gayoom’s government quickly sought assistance from the international community, including then-Soviet Union, Singapore, Pakistan, US, UK and India.
But the one country that stood the test of times for Maldives was India.
New Delhi, within 16 hours of the SOS received from President Gayoom for assistance, rescued the leader. Maldives is strategically located in the Indian Ocean, and any political turmoil in the region could have broader implications.
The situation was tense.
In response to the request for assistance, India swiftly launched ‘Operation Cactus’ on the night of November 3, 1988, when the coup was attempted.
How India went in?
Speaking with WION, Lieutenant General (Retd) Vinod Bhatia, who was then brigade major of the 50 Independent Parachute Brigade, gave a first-hand account of the coup attempt by rebels to overthrow the Male government and how India thwarted it.
Gayoom, by that time, had already faced two coup attempts in 1980 and 1983.
General Bhatia, told WION, “They staged the coup when the President of Maldives was to come to India on November 3, 1988. On November 3 morning, Male was taken over and the headquarters were surrounded. TV stations and radio stations were taken over, just like it happens during any coup.”
On November 3, 80 PLOTE fighters and some locals, armed with heavy weaponry, seized control of Male, targeting key infrastructure.
In response, a crisis committee in Delhi led by then-Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi decided to help the Male government. The 50th Independent Parachute Brigade was activated in Agra, and Air Force and Parachute Brigade units were ready for deployment.
Two Ilyushin IL-76s landed in Maldives at 9:30 pm, carrying Indian soldiers and then-High Commissioner to Maldives Arun Banerjee.
“There were 80-odd people involved in the coup. The moment they saw us landing there, they just vanished. They were firing, they realised the game was over,” General Bhatia told WION.
Eventually, paratroopers secured the airport.
“We went in at the invitation of the president. Our task was to rescue the Maldivian president. We got the first intimation around 10-10:30 am and the para brigade launched the operation, and we could rescue the president by 2 am in the morning…. within 16 hours. Then we were told to restore normalcy in Maldives.”
Later, the rebels “hijacked a ship called MV Progress Light. They took that ship away. Some of them took boats and went away and we chased them. By 8 November, we got everyone back.”
The Navy, under commander of the brigade Farouk Bulsara ordered to open fire which damaged the fleeing ship. INS Betwa and INS Godavari intercepted it, following which the rebels surrendered.
“Every military operation is inherently dangerous. There was a cold start and this was a totally blind one. We had very little intelligence but that’s what we are trained and meant to do,” General Bhatia said adding that after the operation India’s intervention was highly appreciated.
The coup led to the deaths of 19, while 68 Sri Lankan fighters and seven Maldivians were arrested. Four, including Luthufee, received initially a death sentence, later commuted at PM Rajiv Gandhi’s request.
A pivotal moment in India’s diplomatic history
Indian forces, including the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force, conducted a successful military intervention to quell the rebellion and reinstate the legitimate government in the Maldives. The swift and decisive action by India is often hailed as a successful example of regional cooperation and intervention to maintain stability in the South Asian region.
The operation showed India’s ability to respond to a crisis in its immediate neighbourhood and demonstrated its commitment to preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighboring nations.
The Maldives coup and India’s intervention in 1988 further strengthened diplomatic ties between the two countries.
“Even in 1971 war, we vacated.. we came back to our country. On 17 Nov, we were out of Maldives,” General Bhatia added.
