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GMR fallout? Visa now must for Maldivian medical tourists

Sashan

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NEW DELHI: India has tightened visas for Maldives in what is being seen as retaliation for the GMR fiasco in that country. New Delhi has stopped Maldivians from using their visa-free travel facilities to India for other activities like medical treatment, restricting it only to tourism.

India revised its earlier "liberal" interpretation of the 1979 bilateral visa agreement with Maldives this month which allowed thousands of Maldivians to use a 90-day visa-on-arrival facility — meant only for tourism — to travel for treatment in Indian hospitals. The Indian government indulged in Maldivians' liberal use of the facility. But that will no longer be allowed, said sources. Now, Maldivians will need valid medical visas for treatment in Indian hospitals or face deportation, New Delhi has warned.

Foreign minister Salman Khurshid suggested that a lack of reciprocity by Male had forced India to cut down on its largesse in doling out visas. "We know that people from the Maldives come here for treatment but as far as visas are concerned, we will go strictly by the rules," said Khurshid. While India allowed Maldivians to seek treatment on tourist visas — as it never questioned the purpose of their visit —authorities in Male have admitted that there always was a "mutual understanding" that such travelers required medical visa.

Indications are that Maldives is already facing the heat. Calling for its nationals not to depend on any one country for treatment, Male has now approached Sri Lanka saying it wants to extend its healthcare scheme to some of the hospitals in Colombo. Now, Maldivians are queuing up outside the Indian High Commission to seek medical visas which are limited in number. The Maldivian home minister said they would approach Thailand for help in medical treatment for its citizens.

According to the Indian government, Maldives' interpretation of the visa agreement was always different and that until now it was more difficult for Indians to get into Maldives than the other way round. The fact that India workers' passports are confiscated by their employers is something India has repeatedly taken up with authorities in Male but to no avail.

According to India, Maldives detains and deports about 50 Indian nationals every year. Maldivian home minister Mohammed Jameel Ahmed denied the charge, saying that only four have been deported this year. But the Indian High Commission contradicted him on Saturday. "Regarding the deportation of Indian travelers from Male International Airport, the High Commission of India stands by its figures," said the High Commission in a statement. Unlike Maldives, India has also been giving tourist visas free of cost. After tightening visa regulations, India has put forward a list of demands to Maldives in which it has also sought quick release of 14 Indians detained in the Indian Ocean nation.

GMR fallout? Visa now must for Maldivian medical tourists - The Times of India
 
India's tantrums resulting from superpower delusions will undo all the careful work done by decades of patient policy planners.
 
I think it was a right step seeing where Maldive current dictator is taking orders from. They are doing the same with Indian visitors where many were asked to return so why does India has to follow a liberal policies. Most of their daily use needs are fulfilled by India/ Indian traders. India has invested in their tourism industry yet the lose nut who forcibly took control of the country is playing cheap games by taking steps on the orders/bribing by another country. All this happened because of India's weak foreign policy vis a vis Maldives. Now is the time to tighten screws around the nut case and steps should be taken to bring Nasheed back.

I read people's reaction in some of the Maldivian newspapers and public is really pissed off with this dictator.
 
India's tantrums resulting from superpower delusions will undo all the careful work done by decades of patient policy planners.

Sometimes you have to show your displeasure....otherwise they think you are meek. Lets see what kind of compensation they will offer to GMR.
 
India's tantrums resulting from superpower delusions will undo all the careful work done by decades of patient policy planners.


the tantrums of maldives is the one causing India to react......it would have been wise for them not to antogonise a larger nation that is closer to it
 
Maldives needs India more than India needs Maldives .
Now with the GOI tightening the screws and and letting know that New Delhi is far from impressed from the recent behavior of the Maldives this is only going to produce a positive impact .
Here on either Maldives gets bullied by India or the relation improves
 
India's tantrums resulting from superpower delusions will undo all the careful work done by decades of patient policy planners.

This has nothing to do with super power delusions as stated.

It has to do with self respect, the Govt of Maldives undid an agreement the previous Govt went into with its eyes open with an Indian Company.

I have business interests in the Maldives and many friends there too. The locals are fed up with the new regime - its an internal matter of their country. Interacting with them since 2005 one has a reasonable knowledge of the goings on there

GOI has done right.
 
No problem. The Maldivians are very welcome to visit Sri Lanka for medical purposes and avail themselves of the visa on arrival facility. Sri Lanka is like a second home to many Maldivians who already number in the thousands and there are numerous daily flights between the two countries.
 
At times I feel our babus at the external affairs ministry are clueless. What is the need to retaliate for a country as big and powerful like India as compared to maldives? We behave like US and ourselveds blame Amreeka for its policies. I know whatever happened was not desired by us but why take this approach of tit for tat? A small tiny island highly dependent on India, we could have easily made them to change there stance.

No problem. The Maldivians are very welcome to visit Sri Lanka for medical purposes and avail themselves of the visa on arrival facility. Sri Lanka is like a second home to many Maldivians who already number in the thousands and there are numerous daily flights between the two countries.

Same as how Lankans are welcomed in our country. Afterall Sri Lankan Airlines operates 100 flights a week (its biggest market by far) to India, a service availed by thousands of Lankan students (Manipal, Pune, etc) and people like Jacqueline Fernandez. :woot:
 
At times I feel our babus at the external affairs ministry are clueless. What is the need to retaliate for a country as big and powerful like India as compared to maldives? We behave like US and ourselveds blame Amreeka for its policies. I know whatever happened was not desired by us but why take this approach of tit for tat? A small tiny island highly dependent on India, we could have easily made them to change there stance.



Same as how Lankans are welcomed in our country. Afterall Sri Lankan Airlines operates 100 flights a week (its biggest market by far) to India, a service availed by thousands of Lankan students (Manipal, Pune, etc) and people like Jacqueline Fernandez. :woot:

My favorite srilankan so far :devil:
 
Tridibans said:
Same as how Lankans are welcomed in our country. Afterall Sri Lankan Airlines operates 100 flights a week (its biggest market by far) to India, a service availed by thousands of Lankan students (Manipal, Pune, etc) and people like Jacqueline Fernandez. :woot:

This is a great opportunity for Sri Lanka to further develop its close relationship with the Maldives, and for other countries, including China, to do the same. The Maldives maybe a small country, but the Maldivians are a proud people. They do not deserve to be the victims of Indian bullying and high handedness.
 

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