Operation Cactus

Summary

In 1988, India successfully intervened in a coup d'état in the Maldives, known as Operation Cactus, to restore President Abdul Gayoom to power and neutralize Sri Lankan militants.

Abstract

In November 1988, India launched Operation Cactus to thwart a coup attempt in the Maldives orchestrated by Abdulla Luthufi and executed by Sri Lankan militants from the People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). The militants had seized control of key areas in Malé, the capital, in an attempt to overthrow President Abdul Gayoom. After receiving an urgent plea for assistance from the Maldivian government, Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi authorized a swift military response. Within 16 hours, Indian paratroopers were deployed from Agra, gaining control of strategic locations, rescuing the President, and restoring order with minimal prior knowledge of the Maldives. The operation concluded with the Indian Navy capturing fleeing militants and freeing hostages. The swift and decisive action by India not only solidified Indo-Maldivian relations but also demonstrated India's military capabilities and influence in the Indian Ocean region.

Opinions

The article suggests that the Indian intervention was crucial and timely, with positive outcomes for both India and the Maldives.
The strategic oversight by the PLOTE militants in not securing Hulhule airport was a critical error that contributed to their defeat.
The operation highlighted India's ability to conduct rapid and effective military operations in response to regional crises.
The successful resolution of the crisis through Operation Cactus is portrayed as a testament to India's role as a regional peacekeeper and its willingness to support neighboring countries.
The article implies that the 18-hour phone call between Ibrahim Zaki and Rajiv Gandhi's office was a significant factor in maintaining communication and coordination during the crisis.

How India prevented a coup d'état in the Maldives in 1988

Aerial View of Malé, the capital of the Maldives. It was the main target of the militants. By Shahee Ilyas on Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Two years after India successfully averted a coup d’état in the Seychelles, a storm was brewing in the Maldives. Abdulla Luthufi, a disgraced Maldivian businessman wanted to take revenge against the incumbent President, Abdul Gayoom.

In November 1988, around two hundred Sri Lankan militants affiliated to the People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) penetrated Malé, the capital of the Maldives, with full support from Luthufi. They scattered across the city and captured crucial localities and buildings. They marched towards the Mulee’aage, the President’s official residence. But they were unable to find Gayoom.

The President had retreated to the Maldives National Security Service headquarters. Ibrahim Zaki, the foreign secretary rushed to the telephone exchange and contacted other countries for help. Pakistan and Sri Lanka said that they could not assist the President. Singapore and Malaysia were too far away to send reinforcements soon. The US base at Diego Garcia cited the same reason. The United Kingdom declined as the Maldives was outside its sphere of influence and suggested that Zaki should approach India instead. He telephoned Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s office at once. The PM’s secretary responded. Zaki explained the situation to him, stating that the PLOTE militants were outside the telephone exchange and communications could get cut anytime. Both decided not to hang up the call to keep communications running. The call went on for eighteen hours.

Gandhi agreed to help Gayoom and on the 3rd of November, Operation Cactus was born. Less than 16 hours after the call, three hundred Indian paratroopers were dispatched to Malé from Agra on an Ilyushin aircraft of the 44th Squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF). By this time, the PLOTE militants had besieged three-quarters of the city. However, they had made a strategic mistake. The paratroopers landed at Hulhule airport, a pivotal location the militants had forgotten to capture. Reinforcements arrived from Kochi and IAF mirages were deployed to scare the militants. The paratroopers soon gained control of the city and rescued Gayoom. They did all this with having barely any experience or knowledge about the Maldives. In fact, information about the Maldives was so scarce, that the paratroopers had to rely on a coffee-table book for a map of the country.

The PLOTE militants launched a desperate attempt to escape the capital. They tried to leave the city with around thirty hostages on a merchant ship. However, INS Godavari and INS Betwa cornered the ships along with assistance from planes that had arrived from Diego Garcia. The next day, the hostages were freed, and the militants were arrested. Luthufi was tracked down and was off the Sri Lankan coast. The insurgency was successfully quelled. One year later, the captured militants and Luthufi were handed over to the Maldivian government and received death sentences.

Indo-Maldivian Relations have always been positive since 1988. Every 3rd of November, Victory Day is celebrated in the Maldives as a public holiday to commemorate the efforts of the Indian paratroopers. This incident cemented India’s influence in the Indian Ocean region and showed its capability to aid neighbouring countries on such short notice.

Operation Cactus

How India prevented a coup d'état in the Maldives in 1988

Works Cited