Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - The case of the two Italian marines detained in prison in Kerala and the killing of the two Indian fishermen in the accident with the Italian oil tanker "Enrica Lexie", "has been contaminated by too many errors, by all the protagonists in the field". "At this point the only way is to let the Italian and the Indian government confront each other in court, and for the dispute to be resolved legally. The crucial question is that of maritime borders and international law ": is what John Dayal, Christian intellectual and activist for human rights says to Fides. According to Dayal, Secretary General of the ecumenical Organization "All Indian Christian Council", "all the protagonists, the Italian government, shipowners, the Indian government and the Indian Church have contributed to tangling the skein." "The shipowners – explains Dayal - should have immediately apologized, allocate a legitimate compensation and then leave the matter to the Italian Government. The Italian government should have conducted a trial for the two marines, without discussing quibbles with the Indian government. As for as the Indians are concerned, the nationalist sentiments that blind people have no logic and do not want to hear reason: they only want to punish the Marines". The case, therefore, according to the activist, is polluted and increasingly complicated, so much so that "now only the judicial trial remains."
Meanwhile, the Federal Minister of Defence, A.K. Antony and Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna reiterated that "the two Marines will be judged according to Indian law." The Prime Minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy, on the eve of the vote of March 17, where he will be assigned a seat in the Parliament of Kerala, said that "the courts support the position of the state of Kerala, on the right to prosecute the two military on Indian soil". According to the observers, the two, if found guilty, also risk death sentence. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 15/3/2012)
