Committee opposes Indian consulate in Addu, says it is a chance for ''colonization''

The Addu Development Committee has opposed a move by the Indian government to establish a Consular General in the city by saying that it was a chance for an influential nation to "Colonize Addu,".

A tweet by the ADC today read that residents of the city vehemently opposed establishing such an "Embassy" especially in the "Police Academy" grounds in the city. The ADC tweet read that the Indian government had not consulted with the Addu City Council when it made such a decision and that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's decision must be shared with the residents of the Addu City.

A statement by the Indian Embassy in the Maldives read that the Indian government had decided to establish a Consular General in the Addu City, which is the second most populated region in the Maldives as well as the southernmost atoll of the nation. The embassy statement read that official work on the decision would be started once the decision of the Maldivian government was finalized. 

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, in a press conference last night highlighted the matter saying that the Maldivian government had not made a decision on the matter, despite the decision by the Indian government. 

He did say, however, that discussions would be made to fulfill requests made by one another through diplomatic relations between the two nations. The President did specify that no decision had been made on the proposal so far. 

The statement by the Indian Embassy read that the Maldives had a consulate in the southern city of Trivandrum, India where most Maldivians living in India reside, in addition to the High Commission in the capital Delhi. However, the ADC rejected this by saying that Trivandrum was the home of thousands of Maldivians living in India while Addu City did not in fact have a major population of Indian citizens. The ADC said that the two situations were incomparable and did not necessarily mean that a Consular General was needed in Addu City. 

The Indian government said that India was carrying out infrastructure projects worth USD 200 million in Addu City and the establishment of such a service in Addu City would mean that residents of Addu who wished to travel to India can apply for visas directly from the city. The Embassy statement also read that the consular service would give a lot of convenience for Indian teachers living in the region.

The Embassy also said that the Police Academy being developed in Addu City was a property of the Maldivian government and the Indian government had no intention of establishing the Consular General in the location. 

The establishment of a Consular General in Addu City comes at a time of heightened public concern over the growing influence of India on the Maldives. One of the major voices expressing concern over this is former Home Minister Umar Naseer. 

The ex-Home Minister said in a Facebook post last night that India was developing training centers in the Maldives usable as military bases as well as the naval shipyard in Uthuru Thila Falhu in the same manner and providing helicopters and airplanes as well as military personnel after placing a gag on the mouths of Maldivian political leaders. 

"The Maldives may suffer a dire situation of any type if the country is stuck within the grasp of corrupt political leaders," said Umar Naseer in his post.