The Indian government needs to do more to help sailors stuck near the Strait of Hormuz and work with other countries to keep shipping routes safe.
The fighting between the United States and Iran has made one of the world’s busiest sea routes very dangerous. Recently, three Indian sailors died when a cargo ship was attacked by US forces. India strongly protested and asked both sides to stop targeting commercial ships. Another ship carrying 20 Indian sailors was also attacked, but luckily everyone on board was rescued.
Thousands of sailors are now trapped in the Hormuz region. Most of them are Indians. Many ships have been stuck there for weeks, and some are running low on food and water. Around 1,600 ships are affected. Ship owners face a difficult choice: if they work with Iran, they may anger the US, but if they follow US rules, they could become targets for Iran.
The sailors themselves are facing huge stress. Many were supposed to return home after finishing their contracts, but replacements cannot reach the ships. Some ship owners are even pressuring crews to stay longer by delaying salaries or refusing to let them leave, even though international law says sailors have the right to go home when their contracts end.
The best solution is for all sides to work together to safely move ships and crews out of the area. But because the US and Iran are using the sea route as part of their conflict, cooperation has been difficult.
This crisis is a warning for the future. If countries start using important shipping routes as weapons, world trade could suffer. It may also discourage young people from becoming sailors because the job could seem too dangerous. India has a long history of seafaring and should take a leading role in protecting shipping lanes and standing up for the rights of sailors around the world.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
