Deploying armed security guards on Indian Merchant ships is under active
consideration of the Government
A policy for deploying armed security guards on Indian Merchant Ships is
under the active consideration of the Government of India and a view
will be taken shortly, Union Minister of Shipping Shri G.K. Vasan,
informed Mr Shantaram Naik, Rajya Sabha M.P. from Goa, in a letter
addressed by him to the M.P., recently.
Minister’s reply was in response to a Special Mention made by him in the
Rajya Sabha.
Mr Naik had demanded through his special mention that “World powers have
to put in more efforts to thwart such criminal activities or else even
the terrorists will resort to piracy as one of the methods of
terrorizing the world community.”
Ship owners should be authorized to carry arms for self-defence and face
the armed pirates when they climb the ships. It is appreciated that the
Indian Navy has been playing an important role in this regard and more
powers have to be given to the Navy to tackle the problem of ship
hijacking, Mr Naik had further demanded.
Mr Vasan further informed Mr Naik that Indian Navy is carrying anti
piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden from October 2008. A total of 25
Indian Navy Ships have been deployed in the Gulf of Aden since then,
and, a total of 1573 ships, including 1402 foreign flagged vessels from
different countries, have been escorted by Indian Navy ships in the Gulf
of Aden since October 2008.
The minister has further informed Mr Naik in his letter that 29 piracy
attempts have been thwarted and no ship under Indian escort has been
hijacked by pirates.
In recent naval operations , Indian Navy has neutralized four mother
ships and apprehended 120 pirates, Minister further informed Mr Naik.
SHANTARAM NAIK
