India and the marines

February 26, 2014 12:48 am | Updated November 16, 2021 06:32 pm IST

Lady Justice is depicted wearing a blindfold, indicating that justice is meted out objectively, without favour and regardless of identity or impartiality (“Centre drops charge under anti-piracy law against marines,” Feb. 25). But today, the Indian authorities appear to be blindfolding themselves to facilitate a possible escape route for the Italian marines by introducing questionable legal loopholes even before the case is admitted in court. If the two Italian marines are set free citing these loopholes on account of the callous handling of the case, it will be a blot on upholding our sovereignty.

Haridasan Mathilakath,

Kochi

Though piquant, the government’s decision is on expected lines. India lost momentum as soon as the case was shifted to Delhi. Meanwhile, the woes of the families of the fishermen whose lives were snuffed out off the coast of Kerala are mounting. The Supreme Court needs to intervene.

K. Rajendran,

Chennai

The case seems to have been handled in a confused manner, first by Kerala and then in Delhi. India should have been able to handle it in an amicable manner without damaging ties between the two countries. The fact that Italy has kept its side of the bargain tends to show India in poor light.

Vijay D. Patil,

Pune

The incident took place in 2012. Despite court orders for a speedy trial, the government seems to have been dragging its feet, assuring Italy that it would not seek the death penalty. Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Italy is being targeted and Italy wants to raise the issue at the level of the U.N. and the EU. Why is India so lethargic even in international matters? Why not go for an out-of-court settlement and let the marines go?

Ramabhadran Narayanan,

Coimbatore

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.