India's insistence on continuing to buy Iranian oil defying United States sanctions, drawing common approach on China, Af-Pak situation and peace negotiations with Taliban dominated the talks of Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, who concluded his maiden bilateral visit in Washington on Thursday. The "serious situation" in Maldives after the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed and the multi-billion jets deal found passing mentions during Mathai's meetings.
Unless our neighbours have a stake in our progress and success, they will challenge our role in various ways and power will become irrelevant, says Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
The United States on Thursday voiced concern over "disorderly" protests in Maldives, where supporters of ousted President Mohammed Nasheed disrupted the opening session of parliament, and asked all parties to work peacefully to find a solution to the political crisis under an India-brokered deal.
India has proposed early presidential elections in Maldives to end the political impasse in the country following the ouster of the first democratically elected President Mohamed Nasheed.
Maldives has been suspended from the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, the most powerful panel of the Commonwealth body, following the recent political turmoil in the country that led to the ouster of its first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed.
A coup has reportedly been launched in The Maldives by the opposition and rogue elements of the police. According to reports, opposition demonstrators have taken over the state broadcaster. There are also unconfirmed reports of the coup having the army's support.President Mohammed Nasheed has reportedly resigned and he may be replaced by Vice-President Mohammed Waheed Hassan. Television channels are reporting that a flash election can be expected.
Considered a powerful player in Maldivian politics, former President Maumoon Gayoom on Thursday sought to allay India's concerns over rise of fundamentalism in Maldives by assuring strict implementation of a law to check radicalisation of Islam once his party returns to power.
The new Maldives government is not inclined to pursuing politics of revenge and does not intend to arrest ousted president Mohamed Nasheed, the country's new Vice President Mohamed Waheed Deen said on Monday.
India's line of credit will help Maldives come out of a tight fiscal situation, reports Prasanna D Zore from Male
Are the developments in Maldives similar to the politicisation of the Pakistan Army in the 1950s and the Bangladesh Army in the 1970s? That should be a question of concern to India, says security expert B Raman.
Two foreign journalists, including an Indian national, working for French news agency AFP who were arrested by the Maldivian police for violating immigration rules, have been ordered to leave the island nation facing political turmoil.
India issued an advisory to its nationals on Monday, asking them not to undertake non-essential travel to the island nation.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in Gan on Wednesday on a four-day visit to Maldives during which he will attend the South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation Summit and have a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani.
India's decision to fall back on an Islamic and authoritarian government to protect and promote its interests is a sad commentary on its neighbourhood policy, says T P Sreenivasan.
World community on Saturday stepped up efforts to end the political stalemate in Maldives, with India seeking a peaceful solution to the "complex" situation and the United States sending a top diplomat to the tiny nation, whose new leader expressed readiness to face a probe into charges of a coup.
Representatives of the Afghanistan government and Taliban militia are set to hold talks in the Maldives on national reconciliation, their second such meeting this year. "The government of Maldives confirms that talks are being held this week in the Maldives between Afghan lawmakers and representatives from groups opposed to the Afghan government," President Mohammaed Nasheed's press secretary Mohamed Zuhair said. The Maldivian government has no involvement in the talks.
In this exclusive conversation with Rediff.com contributor Rajeev Sharma, exiled opposition leader Ahmed Naseem explains why the world should care about democracy in Maldives.
'Several Maldivians have been arrested by Pakistani authorities after they crossed into Pakistan from India. The recruitment of Islamist radicals takes place in the Maldives and their channel of movement is all the way up to Pakistan.'
The claim was filed on Friday before an Arbitration Court in Singapore and a final order in the matter is likely to come out by end of March next year.
Prime Minister Modi will be conferred with the Maldives' highest honour "Rule of Nishan Izzuddeen".
'Now is the time for India, our biggest neighbour and oldest friend, to bring the full array of international policy instruments to bear.'
The action against the two journalists came as a privately-owned television station in the Maldives went off the air, citing threats during the country's current state of emergency.
Terrorism is not just a threat for a country but to the entire civilization, Modi said.
'Ladakh is a tiny salami-slice issue.' 'The big one for China is Arunachal Pradesh, more than 83,000 sq km.' 'Do they imagine they can grab any of this by force?' 'In the 21st century, nursing those thoughts only means you need to get your heads examined.' 'It isn't going to happen,' declares Shekhar Gupta.
India's silence on this week's troubles in the Maldives is puzzling, says Rajeev Sharma.
Anti-Corruption Commission rules out graft.
'As of now, it may be best for India to insist that Yameen honours the supreme court rulings and ensures that the next election is free and fair,' says Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd).
Maldivian Vice President Ahmed Adeeb was on Thursday impeached by the Parliament overwhelmingly over an alleged attempt to assassinate President Abdulla Yameen and faces terrorism charges as lawmakers approved state of emergency in the island that has sparked concerns globally.
At the Paris climate change summit, there is talk of restricting temperature rise to 1.5?C instead of 2?C, which has been negotiated so far. This would give India less space to grow by limiting carbon emissions further, reports Darryl D'Monte, reporting exclusively for Rediff.com from the French capital.
'We should not have waited for the political crisis in Nepal to erupt before being galvanised into action,' says Shyam Saran. 'We should have seen what was coming and not accepted assurances from the leaders of the political parties at their face value.'
Infra major GMR is hopeful of maintaining strong order book.
Delhi's inability to open up a new canvas with Pakistan and Sharif is symptomatic of its sluggish thinking. Jyoti Malhotra analyses
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