Vantage | How Indian Navy's rescue acts add to India's growing stature

The Indian Navy has shown its valour once again; it has rescued 19 Pakistani fishermen from the clutches of Somali pirates. In fact, India pulled off not one but two rescues, hours before saving the Pakistanis. Again, the Indian Navy had rescued some Iranians aboard an Iran-flagged fishing vessel called the Iman from Somali pirates. Pirates had boarded the ship; the crew was being taken hostage, but they managed to send out the distress call. It was intercepted by the INS Sumitra, a Saryu-class advanced patrol ship capable of ocean surveillance and monitoring. One of the ten ships that India has deployed in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. So when the Iranians gave the distress call, the INS Sumitra set off in pursuit and caught up to the captured fishing vessel early the next day. The Indian Navy put out this statement. The Navy says it followed standard operating procedure and coerced the pirates to safely release the crew. As many as 17 Iranian nationals were on the fishing vessel Iman. The Indian Navy ensured that they were all safe. We don’t know what happened to the pirates. All that India has said is that the boat was “sanitized.” After this, the Iranian crew was allowed to proceed. But the story doesn’t end here. The INS Sumitra wasn’t done yet. Soon, another Iranian fishing vessel was in danger; this one was called the Al Naeemi. Now, India wasn’t just going to stand by, so the INS Sumitra began another pursuit. It managed to track down the second vessel, the Al Naeemi, which had also been hijacked. Its crew was also being held hostage by Somali pirates. So the Indian ship took up a coercive posture again. It deployed its integral helicopter. Smaller boats were also sent towards the fishing ship. This forced the 11 pirates to surrender. The Indian naval forces then boarded the ship and rescued the crew. There were 19 Pakistani nationals aboard the Al Naeemi. The Indian troops checked on their safety and well-being. Then they “sanitised” the ship once again. It’s safe to say that the Indian forces dealt with the threat, and the Pakistani fishermen were saved. What does this episode tell you? No matter the old enmity, the track record of Indian troops remains professional. They will ensure that innocent civilians are kept safe. Even if they are Pakistani, there are both humanitarian and strategic reasons for that. Helping the neighbourhood is in India’s best interests; that’s why India is patrolling the seas. Making sure that pirates do not take advantage of the regional instability. Piracy off the Somali coast has been making a comeback. It is a direct fallout of the Red Sea crisis. Yemen-based Houthis have been attacking ships; Somali pirates see this as an opportunity. They think everyone is distracted by the Houthis. So no one will bother with them, but that is not the case. India is on the job. It is not officially a part of the US-led Red Sea mission. India is providing support to everyone in need, even the citizens of hostile nations, and New Delhi has been doing this for weeks. Last Friday, India helped a British oil tanker that had been struck by Houthi missiles. The INS Visakhapatnam helped douse the flames. Earlier this month, India rescued another ship, a cargo ship called the “MV Lila Norfolk”. The Indian Navy saved 21 crew members from being taken hostage. So Monday wasn’t an anomaly. India has taken on the mantle of guardian and has been fulfilling its duty with distinction. Hopefully, the neighbourhood and the world are watching. This crisis hurts everyone; the difference is in the response. Some fan the fires; others try to douse them. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._ Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.