top of page

By:

Correspondent

21 August 2024 at 10:20:16 am

Imperilled Indians

The death of 13 Indians and the disappearance of three others in the unabating US-Iran conflict should end any illusion that this is merely another distant geopolitical crisis. For India, West Asia is not an abstract theatre of great-power rivalry but home to nearly nine million Indian expatriates. Every missile fired across the Strait of Hormuz carries the potential to claim Indian lives. While the Ministry of External Affairs has expressed concern, called for uninterrupted navigation and...

Imperilled Indians

The death of 13 Indians and the disappearance of three others in the unabating US-Iran conflict should end any illusion that this is merely another distant geopolitical crisis. For India, West Asia is not an abstract theatre of great-power rivalry but home to nearly nine million Indian expatriates. Every missile fired across the Strait of Hormuz carries the potential to claim Indian lives. While the Ministry of External Affairs has expressed concern, called for uninterrupted navigation and condemned attacks on commercial shipping, these statements are not enough. Indian seafarers have reportedly suffered the highest number of fatalities among all nationalities serving aboard commercial vessels caught in the conflict. Merchant sailors have become unwilling participants in a war that is not theirs. They continue to crew ships because global commerce cannot simply pause when missiles begin to fly. The burden of that reality now falls disproportionately on Indian workers. India’s foreign policy has long prided itself on strategic autonomy. In theory, that means avoiding entanglement in rival blocs while maintaining cordial relations with all sides. In practice, however, neutrality cannot become passivity when Indian citizens are paying with their lives. Protecting nationals abroad is not incompatible with diplomatic balance. It is among the first duties of any state. The conflict has also exposed a larger vulnerability. India’s dependence on the Gulf extends far beyond oil. Millions of Indians work across the region in construction, healthcare, shipping, logistics and services. Their labour underpins both Gulf economies and countless households back home. Every escalation places these workers at risk. Waiting until evacuations become necessary is an admission that diplomacy has already failed. New Delhi should therefore adopt a more assertive posture. It should intensify engagement not only with Washington and Tehran but also with Gulf capitals, pressing collectively for the protection of civilian shipping and maritime workers. It should work more actively through multilateral forums to reinforce international maritime law and freedom of navigation. Most importantly, it should make the safety of Indian nationals a central element of every diplomatic conversation concerning the conflict, rather than a humanitarian afterthought. India has legitimate strategic partnerships with the United States, Israel, Iran and the Arab Gulf states alike. Those relationships should provide leverage, not excuses for silence. Friends should be told uncomfortable truths when their actions endanger innocent civilians. The deaths of Indian seafarers are not collateral statistics to be acknowledged at weekly briefings before the news cycle moves on. They are evidence that global conflicts increasingly reach India’s doorstep through its citizens overseas. A nation aspiring to global influence cannot speak softly when its own people bear the costs of others’ wars. India has every reason to call for peace. It now has an even greater obligation to demand it with urgency, clarity and far greater diplomatic weight.

Navy doc treat injured Pakistani crew

Mumbai: In a humanitarian gesture, the Indian Navy (IN) rendered lifesaving medical assistance to save the life of a Pakistani crewman on an Iranian fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea, officials said.


The operation took place on Friday/Saturday around 350 nautical miles in the high seas off Oman coast, with the help of the stealth frigate INS Trikand.


On April 4, the INS Trikand monitored a distress call from the Omani vessel 'Al Omeedi' seeking help for a crew member, who was seriously injured with multiple fractures and blood loss.


Further enquiry revealed that the distressed crewman was working on the vessel's engine when he sustained the grievous injuries and was transferred to another Iran-bound dhow, 'FV Abdul Rehman Hanzia', in the vicinity.

On getting the SOS, INS Trikand immediately altered her course to rush medical assistance to the injured crew.


The 'FV Abdul Rehman Hanzia' has a contingent of 11 Pakistanis and 5 Iranians manning the vessel.


The Indian warship's medical officer along with a team of Marine Commandos boarded the FV.


Ob board, the MO started the three hour long medical procedures, controlling the blood flow, suturing and splinting of the crew's injured fingers.

It was a timely response which prevented the patient's total loss of the injured fingers due to gangrene.


The IN stealth warship also provided crucial medical supplies, antibiotics to the FV to ensure the injured crew's wellbeing till the dhow reaches Iran.


The entire crew of the dhow expressed their gratitude to the IN for rendering assistance on time that helped saving their injured mate's life, said the IN officials.

Comments

bottom of page