Italy is totally powerless. India, being conscious about its new found power status, would not let the marines out of the country. Even, involving EU would not yield much result. Only Britain and France has some kid of influence over India.
But hats off to Italy, its deputy foreign minister has camped in India since February 15 only to over see the safety of its two marines.
Why Kerala loves this never-say-die Italian minister
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Staffan de Mistura is the most talked about name in Kerala nowadays. And not because of the fleet of imported limousines in which he is driven around in Kochi, Kollam andThiruvananthapuram.
For the politically conscious people of the state, the Italian deputy foreign minister is a new experience. He is not here on any trade or commerce mission. Mistura has got only one objective; to ensure the safety and well being of the two Italian marines who have been arrested by police in connection with the murder of two fishermen off the Kerala coast on February 15.
Massimilano Latore and Salvatore Girone, the marines of the Italian Navy posted on board the ship Enrico Lexie, are believed to have shot and killed the two fishermen of the fishing boat St Antony, mistaking them for pirates. The marines were taken into custody by the Kerala Policewithin two days of the incident. The arrests could be made only after the arrival ofGiamPaolo Coutillo, the Italian consulgeneral,who has been accompanying the marines in their trips to the Kollam Judicial magistrate court and to Poojappura Central Jail. Both the marines who were in police custody for a fortnight were accommodated at the colonial style guest house of the CISF at Wellington Island in Kochi. Coutillo too stayed with them in an adjacent suite.
Mistura arrived in New Delhi on February 19 and since then he has been shuttling between Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and New Delhi to ensure that the marines are well-protected.
Though the Italian minister tried in vain to get an appointment with Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandi at the state capital, he could not succeed because the chief minister was away at Idukki for a mass contact programme.
Mistura is not one to be cowed down with such excuses and inconveniences. He drove down to Idukki, almost 300km away from the capital to meet Chandi. He had to wait till midnight to meet the chief minister.
Mistura has thrown protocol and all formalities into dustbin. His mission is to liberate the marines and take them with himback to Italy. He rushed to Thiruvananthapuram when he was told that Latore and Girone were to be sent to Poojappura Central Jail. The minister pleaded with the jail authorities not to put the marines in the jail. He requested to the director general of police (prison) to accommodate his countrymen in some guest houses. The Kerala Police officials are to take a final decision about their place of residence during the period of judicial custody later tonight.