32 years ago, India began Operation Cactus to assist the Maldives as they dealt with their greatest challenge—a mercenary-led revolution. The operation, which went down in the annals of close collaboration between India and the Maldives, demonstrates how the Indian Navy was crucial to the peace and security of the Indian Ocean area.
Background of the operation
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is a Maldivian politician and Islamic scholar who served as the country’s president from 1978 to 2008. In the 1980s, there were three attempts to overthrow Maumoon’s regime. 1980 saw the first attempt, and 1983 saw the second. However, these were not considered serious enough.
On November 3, 1988, a group of Maldivians led by businessman Abdullah Luthufi, assisted by armed mercenaries of a Tamil secessionist organisation from Sri Lanka, the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), attempted to overthrow the government in the island republic of Maldives.
On the morning of November 3, 1988, a Sri Lankan ship that had been hijacked dropped 80 PLOTE mercenaries in the capital city of Malé. They swiftly grabbed control of important infrastructure, including ports, airports, and radio and television stations.
The mercenaries then moved in the direction of the Presidential Palace, but before they could capture President Gayoom, he was led to a safe house by the Maldivian National Security Advisor from the Defence Minister’s residence.
When the mercenaries were unable to protect the President, they turned to kidnapping important cabinet officials. President Gayoom asked neighbouring nations for military support, including Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Singapore, but all of them declined, claiming insufficient military resources. Although it took two to three days to get to the Maldives, the United States did agree.
As the UK naval forces were too far away to be of any real assistance, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of the UK advised President Gayoom to call India for aid. He did so right away, and India granted his request without delay. India was prepared to conduct its operation following an urgent meeting in New Delhi.
Events:
Operation Cactus, India’s military involvement in 1988 at the request of the Maldives’ then-President Gayoom, was a prompt and unplanned action. Nobody had predicted that an attempt to put an end to a coup in Male, the island’s capital, would ultimately succeed more than a thousand kilometres away and end up being a historic mid-ocean rescue operation.
The 50th Independent Parachute Brigade, led by Brigadier Farukh Bulsara, the 6th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, and the 17th Parachute Field Regiment were airlifted from Agra Air Force Station on the night of November 3, 1988, and were flown non-stop over 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) to land over the Malé International Airport on Hulhule Island. After President Gayoom’s request, the Indian Army paratroopers landed on Hulhule in nine hours.
As per estimates, around 14 people were killed and 40 were wounded.
Aftermath and Reaction
The bilateral ties between the two nations were enhanced by this operation. India’s exceptional military capabilities and readiness for any circumstance on the international arena were demonstrated by the operation’s success with little collateral damage.
Operation Cactus served as evidence that India can contribute to maintaining stability in Asia. According to experts on India’s foreign policy, India’s intervention in the attempted coup was necessary because, in the absence of Indian intervention, outside powers might have been persuaded to intervene or even to set up bases in the Maldives, which would have been against India’s interests given that the country is right next to them. India consequently launched “Operation Cactus” as an intervention.
For the operation, India won acclaim from other countries. President Ronald Reagan of the United States expressed his gratitude for India’s intervention, describing it as “an important contribution to regional stability.” Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister, allegedly said, “Thank God for India: President Gayoom’s regime has been preserved.” Nevertheless, the action raised some concerns among India’s South Asian neighbours.
Written by Arshia Singha
Edited by Hrishita Desai
