The Palau-flagged vessel M T Settebello (ANI)
New Delhi: RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) has written to the US Ambassador protesting the killing of three Indian seafarers in separate incidents between June 8 and June 11 in US attacks. The outfit has demanded a transparent investigation and compensation for the victims’ families.
In a letter addressed to US Ambassador Sergio Gor on Monday, the RSS affiliate expressed “deep pain and anguish” over the alleged unprovoked killing of three unarmed Indian seafarers by US armed forces.
“These incidents have sent a wave of disbelief and anger among the people of India. The US administration added insult to injury by an insensitive and irresponsible response, hurting Indian sentiments further, as Indians have always considered the US to be a great friend,” SJM national co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan said in the letter.
The organisation demanded a transparent, time-bound and impartial investigation into the incidents and sought accountability for those responsible, whether individuals or state actors.
It also called for compensation and justice for the victims’ families, assurances against any recurrence and adherence to international legal obligations. “India’s anguish is deep and its resolve is firm: Those responsible must be held accountable, and the dignity and safety of Indian seafarers must be upheld at all costs,” Mahajan said.
He added that India reserves the right to raise the matter at international forums, including the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), for justice to the victims’ kin. Mahajan alleged that the US action constituted a serious violation of international law governing the seas, armed conflict, and human rights.
“At the heart of maritime governance lies the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which guarantees the freedom and safety of navigation on international waters. International law provides protection from unlawful interference for merchant vessels manned by civilian seafarers. An attack on such vessels without lawful justification represents a clear violation of internationally accepted norms,” he said.
Mahajan said that even in situations of armed conflict, civilian lives are protected under the Geneva Conventions. “Seafarers aboard commercial ships, being non-combatants, cannot be treated as legitimate targets. The principles of distinction, proportionality and necessity form the fundamental basis of international humanitarian law,” he said.
According to the SJM, the IMO’s global maritime safety framework obligates all nations to ensure the protection of life at sea, and attacks that endanger civilian seafarers strike at the foundation of international maritime cooperation.
“The killing of innocent Indian seafarers is not merely a bilateral issue — it is a challenge to the rule-based international order. Allowing such acts would erode the sanctity of international law and endanger maritime security globally,” Mahajan said.
“People of India seek an explanation from the US administration, which has always projected itself as a champion of human rights, as to how it could attack a vessel that was standing unmoved for days together,” he added.
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