Considered a powerful player in Maldivian politics, former President Maumoon Gayoom today 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 76-year-old Maldivian leader also made it very clear that China was no substitute for India as far as his country was concerned.
Gayoom, who during his four-day visit met the top leadership including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here ahead of the Maldivian Presidential polls in September, told PTI in an interview that during his meetings, the Indian leaders conveyed their concerns over growing Islamic fundamentalism in his country.
"I told the Prime Minister, told everybody else that we have a law in the country, that is protecting the religious unity in Maldives. The law was passed during my time and it prevents any preacher saying things that will rouse public opinion against certain section of the people or gender," he said, while ruing that the law was not being implemented.
"I assured everybody that we will do it because that law is good for the country because we want to be a moderate Muslim country....We don't want any ill-feeling between us and our neighbouring countries, who are not Muslim countries. We want good relations with India," he added.
He also talked on various other issues, including Maldivian government's unilateral decision to terminate over USD 500 million GMR airport modernisation project in Male, Maldives' proximity with China and Indian investments in his country.
Asserting that China was no substitute for India as far as Maldives was concerned, Gayoom said,"I do not think there is any China thing in this (India-Maldives) affair. China has been a very good friend.
"Even during my time, China had come in with very good projects that were completed with Chinese assistance. China is a very good friend of Maldives. India is also a very good friend of Maldives. But there is no competition or rivalry between the two in Maldives.
