New Delhi is quite. It has not offered a comment beyond saying that it was happy and relieved at the development. On its part the Maldivian government has asserted that there was no deal with India and that the case against Nasheed would continue as normal.

‘There is absolutely no deal with India with regard to Nasheed. The government cannot interfere with the judiciary and the case against him would continue as normal," President Mohamed Waheed’s press secretary Masood Imad was quoted as saying. He rubs the point that Nasheed went into the Indian commission and came out ‘purely because of his own reasons’.

Well, Imad is economical on details. There can be no denying that Indian diplomats worked tirelessly for the past week plus to let reason prevail. Understandably, Delhi will not like to go to town with its ‘feat’. That is not its style. From what is said on record or reported in the media, Indian foreign minister Salman Khurshid spoke with his counterpart Abdul Samad Abdulla several times. So did National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, and Foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai with their counterparts. Indian diplomats also got in touch with a cross –section of stakeholders – Maldivian leaders in the government, ruling coalition and the opposition. Leaders of former President Gayoom’s party, Progressive Party of Maldives, were also contacted. These parleys opened a window of opportunity to break the impasse.

India perceived its position in Male not as a crisis manager but as a well-wisher of a friendly nation, which is keen to see return of Maldives to normal political life. Therefore, if its advice to President Waheed and his brain trusts is to play fair, its suggestion to the former President Nasheed is not to try to keep himself under check. While Waheed has his responsibility to ensure that the forthcoming election in September is held on time and in a free and fair manner, Nasheed must ensure his own participation in the polls by insulating from any danger of his rivals striking at him once again.