Indian Ship Shot at on Hormuz; Panjab Farmers Bear Brunt of War

April

2026

A convoy of 14 India-bound ships carrying crude oil and gas were stopped by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on 18 Apr by firing at two of them while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz, causing 13 of the vessels to return to different locations in the Persian Gulf. Seven of these ships were carrying the Indian flag, four had the Liberia flag, two were of the Marshall Islands, and one of Vietnam. India summoned the Iranian Ambassador in New Delhi for a meeting with the Foreign Secretary on the same day. The Iranian Ambassador assured that India’s concerns would be conveyed to authorities in Tehran. Meanwhile, the US will not extend sanctions waivers allowing countries to purchase Russian and Iranian energy, said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on 15 Apr. India was a key beneficiary of the sanctions waivers which attracted significant criticism by US politicians. Meanwhile, the situation for small, marginal, and landless farmers in Panjab keeps growing worse. In Patti village, Barnala district, 55-year-old Dalit (marginal caste) farmer Dalbara Singh, along with his three brothers, tills the 20-acres he has taken on lease from a Non-Resident Indian. He points to his tractor and reaper, 'These are guzzlers. If run on full capacity, this drum of diesel will last just two days.' Hence, he borrowed money at an annual interest rate of 18% to make sure his diesel drum remains full. When asked about the high rate of interest, he answered, 'What other option did I have? What if I don’t find diesel a week later? My entire crop will rot.' Similarly, 31-year-old Lakhwinder Singh owns five acres of land in the same village. In 2025 he bought a combine harvester worth USD 13K entirely on loan. It was a great risk for one who earned just USD 1.6K from both harvests in 2025. Apart from that, he owes USD 3.2K to the village cooperative bank. Now, he has sought USD 215 from his commission agent-cum-moneylender to buy diesel. He says, 'The harvesting season lasts just 20 days. I can’t afford to have the machine remain idle for a single day in these three weeks. If I fail to pay the instalment, I’ll end up losing the harvester' (earlier coverage).