India passes bill to tackle maritime piracy
Following Cameroon, India also passed a bill to create an effective legal instrument to combat maritime piracy.
Moving The Maritime Anti-Piracy Bill, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that “ensuring maritime security is key to safeguarding India’s security and economic well-being.”
As he explained, the security of sea lanes of communication is critical as more than 90% of India’s trade takes place by sea routes, and more than 80% of the country’s hydrocarbon requirements were sea-borne.
The Bill also addresses the issue of the death penalty as an “exceptional case”, and the quantum of punishments envisaged is in line with the gravity of offenses.
Between 2008 and 2011, there were 27 maritime incidents in which 288 Indian nationals were involved. Between 2014 and 2022, there were 19 piracy cases in which 155 Indian crew members were involved.
