Another pearl in the string.

"Maldives is facing a boycott from one of its biggest sources of tourism income after three of its officials mocked India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi," because although, "Modi did not mention India's picturesque neighbor Maldives in his post, but his effusive praise of the beautiful scenery of the lesser known archipelago (Lakshadweep) may have been seen as a charm offensive to draw people there for vacation rather than Maldives." CNN. This enraged officials of the Maldives government. A minister Mariyam Shiuna "called PM Modi a 'clown' and a 'puppet of Israel'," and Zaheed Rameez said, "How can they provide the service we offer? How can they be so clean? The permanent smell in the rooms will be the biggest downfall." India Today. The present President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu is pro-China and "took a pledge to remove Indian soldiers and alter Maldives's India-first policy". Some 75 Indian military personnel are stationed in Maldives, and it "chose not to renew the hydrography cooperation with India, allowing it to expire on June 7, 2024." HT. In 2022, a yoga event organised by the Indian High Commission in Male was attacked by a mob of 150 Islamist protesters. "The violent mob attacked the participants who ran for their lives. It ransacked food stalls and vandalised whatever they could lay their hands on." India Today. Muizzu won the election that followed. "India summoned the high commissioner of Maldives after a row broke out over derogatory posts made by three officials about PM Narendra Modi." BBC. Retaliating, "Moments after the Indian Ministry of External Affairs summoned the Maldives High Commission, the Maldivian government has now called the Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar." TN. Escalating the dispute, "India's leading traders and retailers body has called for boycott of business ties with the island nation." BT. And so, Muizzu, who is visiting China before coming to India said, "China remains one of our closest allies and development partners," and asked China to send more tourists to Maldives. HT. We have seen this movie before. India gave a "savage reply" when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that India was responsible for the murder of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. India suspended visa services in Canada and asked Ottawa to reduce the number of its diplomats in India. Mint. Canada withdrew 41 diplomats and suspended consular services in Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Mumbai. TOI. Now, quietly, "Less than 45 days since it normalised issuing visas to Canada, India has expanded its footprint for such services in the country, adding three new centers. HT. However, Canada has reduced the number of study permits for Indian students by 41%, from 146,000 in 2022 to 87,000 in 2023. ET. Indians, desperate to escape, will have to use the "donkey route" through Nicaragua to reach the US and Canada (DH), perhaps dying on the way. China has set up a defense base in Coco Islands in Myanmar (ET), one in Gwadar port in Pakistan (ET) and China owns the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka (NPR). Another in Maldives and India is nicely enclosed in China's "string of pearls" (wikipedia). Can't boycott that. Can we?