Don’t let US off the hook
The shooting to death of a Tamil Nadu fisherman and the injuring of three others by an American naval ship in waters near a port in Dubai is unfortunate. The United States has expressed regret, but it must do much more — not just pay reparations but also investigate the incident thoroughly so that people are satisfied it is not a trigger-happy bully prone to knee-jerk reactions every time it feels threatened in maritime situations.
Given that this happened in UAE waters and the offending naval vessel belongs to a superpower, India could not be expected to act in the manner in which it seized Italian vessel Ernica Lexie on the high seas close to Kerala and subjected the offending marines to Indian justice. This country must, however, pursue the Dubai incident diplomatically to a logical conclusion, and urge the UAE to ensure that the United States provides a fuller explanation.
The facts of the case still appear fuzzy, and the question of whether there was any warning before the fishermen were fired upon is disputed. The plight of fishermen from India, particularly those in Tamil Nadu forced to look further afield, being hemmed in by environmental protection laws surrounding the Gulf of Mannar and the frequent hostile action by the Sri Lankan Navy, is understandable. Fishing boat owners need to give their employees orientation courses on how to act at sea when accosted by naval vessels, which in these times of piracy and terror threats tend to be on tenterhooks.
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