'There's a Maldivian connection to Mumbai attacks'

Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Maldives, who was in New Delhi recently as the chief guest at the "High-Level Conference on Climate Change: Technology Development & Transfer," tells Jyoti Malhotra that India should be a little bit more 'flexible and mature' in the global climate change talks.

Your Cabinet met under water just before you came to India. What was the idea?

We wanted to show the world that climate change is a serious issue, certainly for the Maldives, but also for the entire world. We wanted to send the message that Copenhagen (UN-sponsored conference on climate change) is round the corner and that all of us must make a deal in Copenhagen.

Is there a message for India?

We agree with what India's negotiators are saying on climate change. But I also feel that India's negotiators should also be a little bit more flexible and mature. Ok, the outside world is bad, but that doesn't mean that India should also be bad. I have faith in India that it will rise to the occasion. I am romantic enough to want to see India rising to the occasion and saving the planet.

What does that mean?

That means India is the largest democracy in the world, and that despite its size and diversity, it has been able to give its people all the fundamental rights. You defeated the huge British empire with nothing in your hands except the moral authority of Gandhi. India should now be talking to the world. We require strong Indian leadership in the international community.

How is India to achieve that?

The first thing is that you have to start thinking outside the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), think differently about the challenges. Climate change talks are not like trade negotiations or those that take place after a war has ended. These are not repatriation talks. Both sides in the climate change debate must realise that if they don't achieve a compromise, destruction is at hand.

The point to remember is that negotiations are not the important thing. The important thing is to understand the issues at hand. The US, Europe and everyone else has to listen to India and India has to listen to everyone else. Both sides have to start asking whether there is a way out of this mess and find a solution.

You think India should look at a compromise?

It is difficult for me to say how and what kind of compromises India should make. However, I feel it would be better if India did not state its positions as bluntly as it does, or take sides. Instead, it should facilitate common cause between a variety of divergent positions. It should not point fingers at others.

The Maldives and India are both countries in the Indian Ocean. What can we do together?

The most important thing is to have a secure and stable Indian Ocean. Of course, there are problems with some countries, such as Somalia, which doesn't recognise the international order. Security in the Indian Ocean would imply the need for good surveillance of its waters.

Is it true that the Maldives is looking for radars from India to improve its coastal security?

Yes, we would like to safeguard our fishing grounds and prevent terrorist attacks.

Meaning?

Any terrorist attack through the underbelly of India, that is peninsular India, would have to go through Maldivian waters. We will be the first to see what is happening. For example, if we had this equipment, we would have been much more vigilant about what was going to happen in the Mumbai attacks…that is why it is essential to safeguard Maldives' territorial waters and defend our coastline.

Is it true that the Maldives has a serious issue with Islamic fundamentalists?

Yes, we have a serious issue with Islamist radicals, we know that many are being trained by the Al Qaeda in the northern reaches of Pakistan.

How do you know?

Because 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.

Are you saying that the Maldivians are being trained by the Al Qaeda in Pakistan, in Waziristan?

Yes, they are getting trained there by the Al Qaeda to fight the war in Afghanistan.

You talked about the Mumbai attacks and of being more vigilant about your territorial waters…what did you mean by that?

I believe that the identity of all the dead terrorists in the Mumbai attacks has not been broken down into nationalities. I feel there is a Maldivian connection to the Mumbai attacks.

In what way?

Well, we have information from the families of terrorists who are still in the Maldives about this.

I would like to move on to China, the other great Indian Ocean rim country, with whom the Maldives has a burgeoning relationship. Should India be concerned about this relationship?

India should be concerned, but not because the Maldives wants strategic relations with China. If any country, like China, wants to invest in countries in the Indian Ocean and finds a proper rationale for these investments…but I believe Indian analysts are finding that there is no economic rationale. So I think India should be vigilant, aware and understand what China is trying to do.

What is China trying to do?

Invest in ports, infrastructure projects, etc.

Does that constitute a strategic relationship between the Maldives and China?

We are a democracy and our foreign policy is very simple. When we find a friend, we trust that friend and keep a good friendship. We don't try and be clever, because in the long run that would be like shooting yourself and digging your own grave. So we have found a friend and that is India. You have been with us, supported us for a long time. We don't play friends against anyone else.