While India had managed to detain the two Italian marines, even if briefly, it has not heard anything about the shooting of another Indian fisherman off a Dubai port more than six months ago.
When contacted the Ministry of External Affairs has said it had yet to hear from the Americans. The shots fired from a U.S. warship in July last year had killed an Indian and injured three others aboard a fishing vessel. The U.S. Embassy had said it would get back and privately an official suggested the enquiry might still be going on.
The US had promptly owned up to the killing and issued a news release stating that the crew of a small motor vessel had come under fire from the USNS Rappahannock on July 16 [2012] after the vessel had disregarded non-lethal warnings and rapidly approached the U.S. ship.
At that time the Foreign Office here had said it would regularly remind the U.S. and UAE authorities (in whose jurisdiction the shooting took place) to ascertain the facts and take further action.
When contacted, officials were not sure if the action as stated had taken place but said the report would be placed in public as promised by then External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.
The authorities in the UAE had then confirmed that an Indian fisherman had been killed and three other Indians injured. They also informed the Indian mission in Abu Dhabi that a U.S. military vessel had fired shots at a fishing vessel near the port of Jebel Ali, Dubai.
MEA sources said the mission had since stayed in touch with the local authorities who are independently carrying out an investigation into the circumstances leading to the incident.
The shooting had also led to a flurry of diplomatic activity with the U.S. Ambassador to India Nancy Powell calling up Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai to regret the loss of life and assuring that the U.S. government would conduct full investigation. The case has since retreated in the background.
Keywords: Indian fisherman killing, U.S. Navy firing, Dubai firing
When Crimes inclding killings are a regular feature on the Tamil Nadu fisherman by Sri lankans, what makes you think Keralites deserve better. The italians read about the Sri lankans too. If Sri lanka can get away with hundreds of murders , why not Italy and the US.
This and the shooting by the Italian marines clearly show that Indian diplomacy is
still lagging behind in power and sophistication. USA and Italy ( for that matter other
EU nations also) can shoot at anybody with no questions asked, promise an
investigation and move on as if nothing has happened. They fully know that India is
not going to break off relations or take any other strong action. These nations know
that when it comes to real power we are a toothless nation.
Like everything Indian this case has also been put on permanent hold. A country that let Warren Anderson (Bhopal Gas Tragedy) escape in a Govt plane, Quattrochi (Bofors Scam) escorted out by Govt officers, Kim Davis (Purulia arms drop case) was helped by a sitting MP to escape and our Honourable Supreme Court and Central Government enabled the Italian marines to evade justice, to expect one more case to be investigated and followed up is rather a tall ask. Shameful!!
Please Email the Editor