Globalisation is often quantified through economic indicators: trillions of dollars in global trade, resilient supply chains, expanding shipping networks, and the uninterrupted movement of energy and resources across continents. However, beneath these visible markers of economic interdependence lies an often overlooked human dimension. Every container transported, every tanker navigating international waters, and every supply chain sustained is made possible by the labour of millions of workers who operate far from public attention.

Among them are the world’s seafarers, whose labour sustains global commerce while navigating some of the world’s most dangerous maritime environments. The recent missile strike on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which claimed the life of an Indian seafarer and injured several others, demonstrates how geopolitical conflicts increasingly spill beyond conventional theatres of warfare into the global commons. The risks have only intensified. On 18 July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that two oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz struck mines and caught fire, while the United States disputed the account.

Regardless of the competing narratives, the episode underscores the uncertainty confronting civilian shipping in one of the world’s most strategically significant waterways. India responded to the earlier attack by summoning Iran’s Deputy Ambassador and expressing deep concern, while calling for immediate de-escalation and the restoration of safe and unrestricted navigation in international waters. This diplomatic response reflects India’s broader approach of balancing strategic interests with its responsibility to safeguard the lives of Indian citizens working overseas.

At the same........

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