Operation Flowers are Blooming was the name of an operation by the Indian Navy to help avert a threatened coup against the government of President France-Albert René in the Seychelles in 1986. During the 1980s there were several coup attempts against René. In 1981, the South African security services famously organised an attempted coup against René by a group of 44 white mercenaries led by Colonel "Mad" Mike Hoare. Other coups were also planned by elements in René’s regime, among Seychellois exiles in Britain, South Africa and Australia and by anti-communists in Pretoria and Washington. President René turned to India as a security provider, seeking a commitment from Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to intervene against any coups, but Gandhi declined to give a public commitment to inter