35 years after the fact, India’s intervention in the 1988 coup attempt in Malé — codenamed Operation Cactus — continues to be remembered with gratitude and fondness.

Operation Cactus

‘India Out’ was a campaign slogan for Maldives president-elect Mohamed Muizzu, who will take over the country’s reins on November 17. Over the past decade or so, anti-India sentiments have been rising in the island nation — and many Maldivians have a long list of grievances.

Yet, 35 years after the fact, India’s intervention in the 1988 coup attempt in Malé — codenamed Operation Cactus — continues to be remembered with gratitude and fondness. “Across party lines in the Maldives, they don’t criticise this operation. They will mention other issues that they have with India, but not this,” Dr Gulbin Sultana, a Maldives expert, told.

We recall the events that unfolded on November 3 and 4, 1988 in Maldives, and how India prevented a coup in the island nation.

Maldives Geograhy

Maldives lies to the south-west of the Indian mainland, with its capital Malé slightly more than 600 km away from Thiruvananthapuram. It comprises nearly 1,200 low-lying coral islands sprawled across 90,000 sq km in the Indian Ocean.

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (born 1937) became president of Maldives in 1978, amidst economic troubles and political instability. Gayoom eventually went on and ruled his country for 30 years, but in the 1980s, he faced three attempted coups (in 1980, 1983 and 1988), led by Maldivians disgruntled at his rule. The last one would have succeeded, if not for Indian intervention.

Maldivian plotters 

The 1988 coup was the brainchild of Maldivian businessman Abdullah Luthufee and Ahmed “Sagaru” Nasir, supported by Uma Maheswaran, leader of the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), a militant Lankan Tamil organisation. After months of preparations, early morning on November 3, 80 PLOTE fighters, as well as a few Maldivian locals including Luthufee and Nasir, arrived in Malé aboard a couple of Lankan freighters.

India gets involved

In Agra, the 50th Independent Parachute Brigade was activated, under Brigadier Farukh Bulsara. 6 Para, commanded by Colonel Subhash C Joshi was designated to lead the operation. By 3:30 pm, the Air Force’s 44 Squadron and the vanguard of the Parachute Brigade were at the airport, waiting for instructions. The High Commissioner too made it to Agra to brief the soldiers. At around 9.30 pm local time, two Ilyushin IL-76s, flying non-stop from Agra carrying Indian soldiers and the High Commissioner Bannerjee, landed in Hulhulé, Maldives’ main airport. The effect of the landing on the rebels was instant.

Chase in the high seas

Under orders from Brig Bulsara, the paratroopers fired at the fleeing rebel ship, causing enough damage to slow it down. Now it was the turn of the Navy to intercept the ship and rescue hostages. Frigates INS Betwa (from Kochi), and INS Godavari (returning from a friendly visit to Australia), were activated and tasked with intercepting the fleeing vessel before it entered Sri Lankan territorial waters.

The Indian ships caught up with the rebel vessel on November 5. After tense negotiations, the Indian ships opened fire. Seeing that no escape would be possible, the rebels finally surrendered and were taken aboard INS Godavari.

Aftermath

The attempted coup claimed the lives of 19 people. 68 Sri Lankan fighters and seven Maldivians were eventually arrested, interrogated and put to trial in Maldives. Four, including Luthufee, were given the death sentence which was later commuted at the request of PM Rajiv Gandhi.

Will Return Indian Military Personnel Soon, Says Maldives President

Maldives will work to return Indian military personnel from its shores “as soon as possible,” president-elect Mohamed Muizzu said. Muizzu insisted that it was the top foreign policy priority for country after he won the Maldives’ presidential election last month, beating incumbent president Ibrahim Solih in a second-round runoff. Mohamed Muizzu will take office on November 17. Returning Indian military was a core policy of his election campaign.