The modern day pirates

Recently, a massive oil tanker was held hostage by Somali pirates in a daring daylight attack, carried out in the deep sea. The incident not only signified the growing boldness of modern day pirates but also brought home the uncomfortable truth that piracy on the high seas, once rampant in the ancient and middle ages, still continues to be a curse of the oceans even in the twenty first century. Incidentally, the Somali pirates too have moved with the times and have advance information about ships, communicate using satellite phones, carry sophisticated weapons and travel on fast speed boats although like their earlier counterparts, they too operate stealthily and are guided by greed.

Click here to read how piracy has changed over the centuries and the role India can play in curbing it.