The commotion on December 21, 2012, when the Kollam District and Sessions Court released the passports of the two Italian marines Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone to go home for that year’s Christmas, was not seen on Friday when the Supreme Court allowed Lattore to go home for medical treatment.
The Congress was in power at the Centre then. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] condemned the move to grant bail and send the marines home, alleging that the Congress was trying to appease Italy because of United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s Italian connections.
The BJP and the CPI(M) had alleged that through such appeasement, the Congress was paving the way for the marines to evade prosecution in India. But on Friday, Kollam witnessed no such protests — even in the form of statements from any political party. “The marine’s health condition warrants sympathy” was the general reaction.
The Catholic Church here which organised protests against the killings of two Indian fishermen by the marines was totally averse to giving any reaction on Friday. Even fishing community leaders were silent about it and Valentine’s family members were not interested to talk about it.
“The fact is that from strong animosity, a sense of sympathy for the marines has evolved over time. The killing was not a deliberate act since the marines mistook the fishermen for pirates. They have also adequately compensated for the mistake they had made,” said the leader of a fishermen’s organisation who did not want to be quoted.
However, CPI(M) leader and Kollam MLA P.K. Gurudasan was vociferous against the apex court decision. He alleged that the Congress and the BJP were competing to appease Italy.
“No other undertrial in the country, especially those charged with murder, enjoyed such privileges,” he said. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj cleared the political path for the court decision by stating in advance that the Central government would not object if the Supreme Court granted permission, he said.
Mr. Gurudasan said that India had umpteen number of super-specialty hospitals and the marine could be satisfactorily treated in the country itself. “Lattore’s family members could be flown in to be with him during the treatment period,” he said.