Piracy at sea

THE families of the five Indian sailors who have been abducted from their ship and are being held hostage for ransom by pirates off Nigeria are the latest unfortunate ones to be spending anxious moments. One of the abductees is a 20-year-old seaman from Rohtak. Clutching at possible straws that would enable the men trapped at gunpoint across the seas to return home safely, they have even approached Ansar Burney, the human and civil rights lawyer of Pakistan. On his intervention, Somali pirates had released six Indian crew members of Egyptian merchant ship MV Suez in 2011. They had been held captive for over a year and Sampa Arya, the doughty wife of a hostage from Haryana, had become the national face of the relentless fight for their rescue.

Even as the five hapless families hope to get help from the Indian Government, Nigerian High Commission and ship authorities, they look for solace by way of a word about the hostages’ well-being. The incident again highlights this growing menace on the high seas and the need to tackle piracy. Seafaring nations must reinforce joint efforts to combat this international criminal activity. The multi-national maritime defence policy should be reviewed. More patrols and harsher punishment to pirates could act as a deterrent.

Given the constraints of adopting aggressive strategies when the lives of hostages are at stake, it is no doubt a complicated problem. India has been actively participating in policing duties and patrolling the pirate-infested waters off the Gulf of Aden and Africa. The Indian Navy ships have scored a series of successes since 2008 when they started conducting anti-piracy duties. Vessels flying the flags of numerous nations have benefited, as the Navy has escorted thousands of ships through troubled waters. It was pivotal in steering many hostages to safety and apprehending scores of pirates. Diplomacy and international pressure will be needed to help the hostages.