The deaths of two Indian fisherman, purportedly caused by marines stationed on board the Italian merchant ship the Enrica Lexie has created a furore in Kerala.

The Enrica Lexie incident, where two Indian fishermen were killed by marines on board the Italian vessel (who took the fishermen to be pirates) has stoked passions in both countries. Unfortunately, the debate has tended to be skewed by nationalistic statements on both sides thereby obfuscating the real problems highlighted by the incident. Newsclick looks at the broader issues behind the incident - ranging from the complex issue of combating piracy in the Indian Ocean to the deployment of armed guards on board merchant vessels.

The killing of two innocent fisherman by two marines aboard the Italian tanker Enrica Lexie, has resulted in nationalist sentiments being raised on both sides. What should have been a simple matter of who has legal jurisdiction to try the two, has now been escalated to a diplomatic issue.