Explained | Why was Maldives triggered by Indian PM Modi snorkelling in Lakshadweep?

“I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and the incredible warmth of its people. For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list,” these were some of the words posted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Instagram along with the image of him enjoying the weather on the beach in the country's union territory of Lakshadweep on January 5.

What appeared to the world just some images from an official visit made by the Indian prime minister soon led to a controversy and unexpected diplomatic row between India and Maldives.

How did the social media war begin?

The social media war started after PM Modi shared images of walking along a beach and snorkelling in Lakshadweep, which is a southern Indian island chain in the Laccadive Sea, near the coast of Kerala.

No mention or references to Maldives or any other island nation which is popular among tourists was made in the post, however, still, the archipelago's beautiful scenery appeared to offend the Maldivian politicians and government officials in some way and started a war on social media with Indian users.

One apparent reason can also be that Maldives saw the posts as a threat to its own tourism, to which Indians are a massive contributor.

The Indian prime minister's post received some offensive, racist, xenophobic and derogatory comments from some important Maldivian social media users, in which Indians were targeted at large, as well as Modi.

Which Maldivian ministers took a dig at Modi?

Among the hate comments shared on social mediawas one by Maldives’ Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts Mariyam Shiuna, who wrote: “What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr. Narendra diver with life jacket. #VisitMaldives #SunnySideOfLife”. Shiuna, in the now-deleted post, also compared India to cow dung.

Shiuna's fellow deputy minister Malsha Shareef also posted similar derogatory comments againstthe tourism campaign for Lakshadweep and India.

Meanwhile, a member of Maldives' ruling Progressive Party Abdulla Mahzoom Majid also shared an image which was reported to be of Bora Bora islands in French Polynesia and claimed it to be an image of an island resort in the Maldives.

“Sun set in Maldives. You won’t see this in Lakshadweep. #Visit Maldives. CC: @narendramodi (sic),” he wrote.

How did Maldives react to the social media war?

The government of Maldives quickly distanced itself from their comments and the three ministers were immediately suspended. The Maldives government, in a statement, said that it was aware of “derogatory” comments made on social media but stressed the “opinions are personal” and do not represent its views.

“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,” it added.

How heavily does tourism in Maldives rely on India?

As per the media reports, tourism in Maldives is heavily reliant on India and a major part of their income comes from the nation. In 2023, more than 209,000 trips were made by Indian tourists to Maldives which covers 11 per cent of its tourism market, as per the statistics released recently.

How did Indians react to the hate remarks for Lakshadweep?

However, the derogatory remarks made by the Maldivian officials have angered many Indian holidaymakers, some of whom also shared screenshots of their cancellation of trips to Maldives on social media with the hashtag #BoycottMaldives.

Watch:Israel's desalination project to help India's Lakshadweep Islands

India's famous personalities, from Bollywood actors to cricket players, also appealed to fans to travel to local destinations instead with the hashtag #ChaloLakshadweep, which means“Let’s go to Lakshadweep”. Such social media campaigns led to a sudden inquiry aboutvacation visits to the archipelago.

Bollywood actors like Akshay Kumar further called the remarks made by Maldivian officials “hateful and racist.” “We are good to our neighbours but why should we tolerate such unprovoked hate? I’ve visited the Maldives many times and always praised it, but dignity first. Let us decide to #ExploreIndianIslands and support our own tourism,” he said.

Indian travel sites, which included EaseMyTrip, also decided to boycott Maldives amid the growing tension. EaseMyTrip announced that it has suspended bookings for flights to Maldives.

Taking to X, CEO and co-founder of EaseMyTrip Nishant Pitti said, “In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings.”

Meanwhile, The Confederation of All India Traders, which is the country's one of the biggest trade bodies, also appealed to members to suspend their business with Maldives.

In a statement, the group's Secretary-General Praveen Khandelwal said, “Until the Maldives tender an apology or ensure remedial measures, the trading community in India will refrain from doing business with them.”

Meanwhile, Maldives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer, in a post on X, called the remarks by officials “unacceptable” and added that the archipelago is committed to “fostering a positive and constructive dialogue with our partners.”

(With inputs from agencies)