When Warships Sink: Does the Indian Ocean Demand an Indian Response?

To all my viewers This is my first blog on this platform, and I realise I have chosen a rather unusual perhaps even controversial topic to begin with. Yet the question raised by the recent events in the Indian Ocean intrigued me deeply: does India carry any responsibility for maintaining security in the waters that bear its name?

Rather than rushing to conclusions, this article attempts to explore the issue from the ground up starting with the fundamentals of the Indian Ocean’s historical and strategic importance, and gradually moving toward the broader geopolitical implications of India’s role in the region.

1. The Only Ocean Named After a Country. Indian ocean is in and of itself unique as its the only ocean named after a country , this happened mainly because India was the most prominent economy , civilization and cultural centre for thousands of years and most trade routes in that subcontinent revolved around India for a very long time.

1. The name originates from ancient Greek and Roman geographic writings. Greek geographers used the term “Indikon Pelagos” meaning “Sea of India”. The Greeks named it after the Indus River region , which they knew as “Indos”. In their maps, the waters south of Asia were called “the sea belonging to India.” Between 700–1500 CE, the Indian Ocean became a major hub of global trade involving Arab, Indian, Persian, East African, and Southeast Asian merchants exchanging spices, silk, textiles, gold, and ivory. Indian ports like Calicut, Surat, and Cambay dominated commerce, linking the ocean closely with India. The name became widely used after Vasco da Gama reached India in 1498, and the region remains strategically vital today due to key routes like the Strait of Hormuz and Strait of Malacca.
2. India and the Indian Ocean: Right, Duty, or Strategic Choice? India shares its name with the Indian ocean but geography alone does not decide the rights over a particular ocean only if it had been the case our dearest neighbour would have 2 seas nevertheless they believe its theirs but according to UN conventions Indian ocean remains a global commons where freedom of trade and commerce is given to all states. However owing to India’s increasing naval strength, economic influence and geographical presence many small countries have looked upon India as a reliable democracy in this region but the question sustains “Are we responsible for any drama going on in Indian ocean?”. And as our respected Prime minister stated “ We are the guardians of the Indian ocean”, I do believe we do hold some credibility over Indian Ocean especially after policies like MAHASAGAR came into effect.
3. The Verdict . In truth, this debate was never really about the Indian Ocean itself. The entire situation revolves around the exercise Milan, from which the Iranian warship IRIS Dena was reportedly returning. Any basic human understanding would suggest that no ship participates in a friendly multinational naval exercise while fully armed for conflict. What happened was not only unfortunate but deeply troubling. It was an utter shame, cowardly and spineless move by the United States whose president “deserved a nobel peace prize” . Yes we do have good relations with Iran and Israel but staying silent in every scene will question Indias crediblity. At the very least, Government should be willing to condemn actions that appear unjust or reckless. If we fail to do so, smaller nations may begin to question whether India can truly be trusted as a responsible and reliable power in the region and its not only about trust, a nation that proudly carries the philosophy of “Atithi Devo Bhava” cannot afford to appear indifferent when those who come to its shores in goodwill face tragedy. This silence of Indian government may also carry its own cost. As conflicts continue to shape the region, imagine a situation where a distress call emerges from the Indian Ocean and India despite its position and capability is not the first to respond where it matters most.

Finally a moment of respect to the brave soldiers of IRIS Dena who came to India unarmed for a routine exercise and never returned back home. May the brave souls who trusted these seas find peace.