Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently visited the Lakshadweep archipelago, located in the Laccadive Sea, off the coast of Kerala, in the country’s southwest. Modi shared pictures of his trip on X, praising the beauty of the islands and the hospitality of the locals.
“Recently, I had the opportunity to be among the people of Lakshadweep. I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and the incredible warmth of its people”, Modi wrote on X. “In addition to the scenic beauty, Lakshadweep’s tranquillity is also mesmerising. (…) For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list. During my stay, I also tried snorkelling – what an exhilarating experience it was!”
While the Prime Minister simply promoted tourism to this lesser-known destination for tourists, mentioning nothing of the neighbouring Maldives, some officials of the island nation took Modi’s posts as an attempt to steal tourists. Three Maldives ministers, particularly enraged by Modi’s posts, called him a “clown”, “terrorist” and “puppet of Israel” in since deleted social media posts.
The officials have since been suspended and the government has issued a statement ensuring that the “derogatory” remarks were personal opinions, not official statements. “The government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners”, the government added.
Despites government efforts to smooth over the PR crisis, Indians have started a boycott against the Maldives. Indian tourists, who make up the majority of visitors to the Maldives, counting over 200,000 last year, started sharing screenshots of cancelled trips with the hashtag #BoycottMaldives. While the impact is minimal at the moment, as not many people cancelled holidays they had already paid for, the blow will be felt in 15-20 days, as no more bookings are being made, explained Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) President Rajiv Mehra.
Moreover, traders have joined the boycott, traders’ body secretary general, Praveen Khandelwal, encouraging traders to “stand united in sending a strong message against such behaviour by temporarily abstaining from trade engagements with the Maldives”. “The call to boycott aims to express solidarity and register disapproval against such disrespectful behaviour”, he explained.
