14/10/2026
WHO HAS CAST THE EVIL EYE ON THE SEAS AND THE SEAFARERS OF THE WORLD? 🌊⚓
A Voice for the Unsung Heroes of Global Trade
I do not know whose evil eye has fallen upon the world of shipping. I do not know what has gone wrong with the oceans, or why the very people who keep the world moving are now becoming afraid to sail.
But today, I want to ask a question to the entire world:
WHY SHOULD A SEAFARER BE AFRAID OF GOING TO WORK? WHY SHOULD A PERSON WHO FEEDS THE WORLD THROUGH HIS HARD WORK HAVE TO RISK HIS LIFE JUST TO EARN A LIVING?
From the Gulf of Aden to the Strait of Hormuz, from the Strait of Malacca to the dangerous waters off Somalia, the oceans that once connected nations and brought prosperity to humanity are increasingly becoming places of fear, uncertainty, and danger.
And in the middle of all this chaos stands a seafarer.
A human being.
A son.
A husband.
A father.
A brother.
A dreamer.
A breadwinner.
A person with a family waiting for him at home, a child waiting for his embrace, a wife waiting for his call, and parents praying every single day for his safe return.
Yet, when a seafarer boards a ship, he does not know whether he will return home safely or whether the ocean will become the final chapter of his life.
Is this the price of serving the world?
🌍 THE WORLD IS ADVANCING, BUT ARE WE PROTECTING THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP IT ALIVE?
We are living in an extraordinary era. Artificial intelligence is transforming industries. Technology is reaching new heights. Nations are competing to build smarter economies, faster transportation systems, and a more advanced future.
We speak about innovation, economic growth, international cooperation, and global development.
But amid all this progress, one fundamental question remains unanswered:
What is the value of technological advancement if the people who sustain the world's economy are still living under the shadow of fear?
The global shipping industry carries roughly 80% of world trade by volume. Behind this enormous network of commerce are millions of seafarers who operate ships, maintain machinery, navigate dangerous waters, and deliver the essential goods on which our everyday lives depend.
The fuel that powers our industries, the food that reaches our markets, the medicines that save lives, the raw materials that build our cities, and the products that fill our homes travel across oceans.
When a ship is delayed, global supply chains feel the impact. When a shipping route becomes dangerous, businesses, consumers, industries, and entire economies can suffer.
Yet, how often does the world stop to think about the men and women standing on the decks of those ships?
How often do we remember the engineer working in the engine room, the officer standing on the bridge, or the seafarer keeping watch through the darkness of the night?
We see the cargo.
We see the ship.
We see the profits, the contracts, and the commercial success.
But too often, we fail to see the human life behind the steel.
⚓ THE OCEAN IS THEIR WORKPLACE, NOT A BATTLEFIELD
The sea has always demanded courage. Storms, rough weather, technical failures, and the unpredictable power of nature have been part of a seafarer's profession for generations.
Seafarers understand these risks. They are trained to face them. They accept the challenges that come with their profession.
But there is a difference between the risks of the sea and the deliberate threats created by human beings.
Piracy, armed attacks, maritime insecurity, geopolitical conflicts, and threats to commercial shipping have turned some of the world's most important maritime routes into sources of anxiety for seafarers and their families.
The Gulf of Aden, the waters off Somalia, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Strait of Malacca each have their own maritime security challenges and strategic importance. The risks vary by region and circumstance, but the human concern remains the same.
Why should innocent seafarers become victims of conflicts they did not create?
Why should a ship's crew pay the price for political disagreements between nations?
Why should an ordinary merchant vessel, carrying essential cargo and employing ordinary working people, become a target in a struggle for power?
A seafarer is not a soldier in a political conflict. He is not responsible for the decisions of governments. He is not the author of international disputes.
He is a professional doing his duty, trying to keep global trade alive while hoping to return to his family in one piece.
The ocean should be a bridge between nations, not a battleground for those who seek to control them.
💔 BEHIND EVERY SEAFARER IS A FAMILY THAT LIVES WITH FEAR
People often say that a seafarer's salary is good. They see the uniform, the rank, the ship, and the opportunity to travel across the world.
But very few people understand the emotional cost of this profession.
They do not see the birthdays celebrated through a video call. They do not see the children growing up while their fathers are thousands of miles away. They do not see the wives managing households alone, the parents waiting for a phone call, or the families counting the days until their loved ones return.
And now, when the danger increases, that distance becomes even more painful.
Imagine a mother watching the news and hearing about an attack on a vessel in the region where her son is sailing.
Imagine a wife calling her husband repeatedly, waiting for a reply that does not come because the vessel has lost connectivity.
Imagine a child asking, "When will Papa come home?"
What answer should that family receive?
Should they be told that this is simply part of the profession?
Should they be expected to accept fear as a normal part of earning a livelihood?
A seafarer's family does not want wealth in exchange for a life. They want their loved one to return home safely.
No salary can replace a father.
No compensation can truly replace a husband.
No insurance policy can erase the grief of parents who lose their child.
A seafarer's life cannot be measured only in dollars, contracts, ranks, or months of service.
It must be measured in human dignity.
🌊 WHO HAS CAST THE EVIL EYE ON THE SEAS?
Sometimes, I wonder whether somebody has cast an evil eye on the maritime world.
The oceans that once represented freedom, opportunity, adventure, and prosperity are now associated with anxiety for many seafarers.
The ship that once carried dreams of a better future is, for some, becoming a source of sleepless nights.
The voyage that once promised professional growth is increasingly accompanied by questions of safety, security, and survival.
What has happened to our seas?
What has happened to the humanity that once connected people across borders?
Have we forgotten that the ocean belongs to no single nation, yet serves the needs of the entire world?
Have we become so focused on trade, money, and strategic control that we have forgotten the people who make international commerce possible?
The problem is not the ocean itself. The sea remains magnificent, powerful, and beautiful.
It is human greed, violence, insecurity, and the failure to protect innocent lives that threaten to turn the sea into a place of fear.
Let us not blame the ocean for the cruelty of humanity.
Let us ask those responsible for violence, those who threaten commercial vessels, and those who possess the power to prevent suffering:
How many more innocent lives must be placed at risk before the world takes meaningful action?
🚢 GLOBAL TRADE MUST NEVER COME AT THE COST OF HUMAN LIFE
Shipping is not merely an industry. It is one of the foundations of modern civilisation.
Without ships, international commerce would struggle to function at its present scale. Ports would slow down, factories could face shortages, supply chains would suffer, and the economic consequences would reach people far beyond the coastline.
Every nation depends, directly or indirectly, on maritime transport.
Every major economy has a stake in the safety of the seas.
Every shipowner, charterer, shipping company, government, maritime regulator, and international organisation must recognise that the safety of seafarers is not a secondary concern to be discussed only after a tragedy.
It is a responsibility that must come first.
Commercial pressure must never outweigh human life. Voyage schedules must never become more important than the safety of a crew. Financial interests must never silence legitimate concerns raised by seafarers.
We need stronger maritime security, effective international cooperation, responsible voyage-risk assessments, clear emergency response procedures, reliable communication with crews, and meaningful support for seafarers caught in dangerous situations.
We need a system in which seafarers can raise safety concerns without fearing that they will lose their jobs or future opportunities.
We need shipowners and operators to treat the welfare of their crews as a fundamental obligation, not merely a box to tick in a compliance document.
And when seafarers are stranded, threatened, injured, or caught in a conflict zone, their rescue and safe repatriation must become a genuine international priority.
Protecting global trade begins with protecting the human beings who carry it.
🕯️ A MESSAGE TO GOVERNMENTS, SHIPOWNERS, AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
To the governments of the world: Please remember that maritime security is not only about protecting national interests, trade routes, or strategic waterways. It is also about protecting human lives.
To shipowners and ship management companies: Your vessels may be made of steel, but the people operating them are human beings with families, emotions, and lives beyond the ship. Their safety must always matter.
To maritime regulators and international organisations: The voices of seafarers must be heard before a crisis becomes a tragedy. Safety policies must translate into real protection at sea.
To charterers and the commercial world: A profitable voyage means nothing if the people who complete it are placed in unacceptable danger.
To those responsible for piracy, armed attacks, and violence against merchant shipping: Stop treating innocent seafarers as instruments of conflict. They are not your enemies. They are workers trying to earn an honest living and bring essential goods to the world.
And to the people of the world: The next time you see a ship entering a port, remember that it carries more than cargo.
It carries the hard work, sacrifice, courage, and hopes of the people who brought it there.
❤️ TO EVERY SEAFARER WHO IS AFRAID BUT STILL STANDS STRONG
To every captain, officer, engineer, rating, cadet, and maritime professional sailing through uncertainty:
Your fear does not make you weak.
Your concern for your family does not make you unprofessional.
Asking for safety does not mean you lack courage.
You have every right to work with dignity, to be protected against avoidable danger, and to return home safely after completing your service.
The world may not always recognise your sacrifices, but that does not make them insignificant.
When others sleep peacefully, you stand watch.
When others enjoy their meals, you keep the ship running.
When families gather at home, you remain thousands of miles away, fulfilling responsibilities that few people truly understand.
You are more than a rank printed on a certificate. You are more than a name on a crew list. You are more than a replacement in a company's manpower plan.
YOU ARE A HUMAN BEING. YOUR LIFE MATTERS. YOUR FAMILY MATTERS. YOUR SAFETY MATTERS.
And no commercial interest, political conflict, or act of violence should ever make the world forget that truth.
🌏 MY FINAL QUESTION TO THE WORLD
I want to ask the world one final question.
If seafarers stop sailing because the oceans become too dangerous, who will carry the world's trade?
If the people who keep global commerce alive are forced to choose between earning a living and protecting their lives, what kind of progress have we really achieved?
If we can develop artificial intelligence, explore space, build advanced machines, and connect billions of people through technology, why can we not unite to protect the human beings who connect our nations through the sea?
Perhaps it is time to look beyond the cargo, beyond the contracts, beyond the profits, and beyond the flags flying over our ships.
Perhaps it is time to look into the eyes of a seafarer and recognise the human being standing there.
I do not know whose evil eye has fallen upon the maritime world.
But I know this: the oceans do not need more violence. The shipping industry does not need more fear. And the families of seafarers do not need more sleepless nights waiting for news of their loved ones.
THE WORLD NEEDS SAFE SEAS. THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY NEEDS RESPONSIBILITY. AND SEAFARERS DESERVE PEACE, PROTECTION, AND DIGNITY.
Let the oceans once again become pathways of prosperity, not corridors of fear.
Let ships carry cargo, not the burden of unnecessary human suffering.
Let the men and women who sail across the world return to their families with stories of courage and achievement, not stories of terror and survival.
And let every nation remember one simple truth:
WHEN WE PROTECT A SEAFARER, WE PROTECT A FAMILY. WHEN WE PROTECT A FAMILY, WE PROTECT HUMANITY. AND WHEN WE PROTECT THE SEAS, WE PROTECT THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL TRADE.
The sea connects the world.
Let humanity protect the people who connect it.
⚓ SALUTE TO EVERY SEAFARER.
🌊 SAFE SEAS. SAFE SHIPS. SAFE SEAFARERS.
❤️ NO TRADE IS MORE VALUABLE THAN HUMAN LIFE.
— A Voice for the Seafarers of the World
Sanjay V. Pawar
Abhijeet Sangle
Sh*tal S. More
