India won’t tolerate maritime piracy: Rajnath Singh

VISAKHAPATNAM: Lauding the Indian Navy for averting five piracy attempts and assisting ships that were attacked by drones and missiles in the last few days, in addition to rescuing 80 fishermen and marines, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said maritime piracy and smuggling will not be tolerated under any circumstances. This is the pledge of ‘New India’, he asserted.

Speaking at the commissioning of India’s first large survey ship INS Sandhayak at the Naval Dockyard on Saturday, the minister said, INS Sandhayak, the first SVL (Survey Vessel Large) class of ships, will further strengthen India’s role as a superpower in the Indo-Pacific region and help the Indian Navy in maintaining peace and security. The survey ship will obtain information about the oceans and achieve the twin objective of protecting the country as well as others.

Referring to the recent drone attack on a British ship in the Gulf of Aden, he praised the Indian Navy for providing security to not just Indian ships, but also to those from friendly countries. 

He said the Indian Navy is facilitating safe trade in the Indian Ocean region, while ensuring peace and prosperity. “Many defence experts are calling this the rise of a superpower. This is our culture – to protect everyone,” he added.

Drawing parallels between the development of a human being and the security aspect of a country, Rajnath explained, “From being dependent on the family in the formative years, a child gradually becomes independent before he or she starts to spread knowledge in the society. Similarly, a country, in the initial stage of its development, depends on other countries for security, before it starts developing the capability to protect itself. Then comes the third stage when it becomes so powerful that it not only safeguards its own interests, but also becomes capable of protecting its friendly nations.”

He pointed out that despite facing challenges on many fronts, post-Independence India continued to move forward for its security and protected itself from threats.

“Today, the country is marching ahead on the path of development, with the more-than-ever strong Navy providing security in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region as the first responder,” he observed.

Terming the Indian Ocean a hotspot for global trade, the minister explained, “Many choke points like Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Guinea are present in the Indian Ocean, through which a large amount of international trade takes place. Many threats remain at these choke points, the biggest being from pirates.”