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Media attention on Clemenceau

Vaiju Naravane

Paris: The Committee's decision generated huge media attention in France. For many ordinary French persons, the Clemenceau has come to symbolise the high handed manner in which developed nations tend to act towards countries of the south.

When asked to react to the decision of the Supreme Court's Monitoring Committee on Hazardous Waste to disallow the Clemenceau into Indian waters, Jean Francois Bureau, spokesman of the French Defence Ministry, told The Hindu : "Firstly it is not India's Supreme Court but a Committee of that court that pronounced itself today. Secondly the Committee is yet to reach a final decision and we shall be making a presentation via our Ambassador of how we have dealt with this dossier, including our interpretation of juridical texts. All I can say at this point is that we are yet to see the text of the committee's opinion in full. What is important is that we are being given the chance to present our case and we shall give all the supplementary information we have at our disposal."

Monetary caution

Asked if he had heard of a possible monetary caution that India could demand for allowing the ship into Indian waters for verification, Mr. Bureau said he was unaware of any such suggestion. It is likely that the committee recommends a caution of Rs. 80 crores, twice the estimated value of the ship to be lodged with Indian authorities. If the real state of the ship fails to correspond to the declarations made by the ship's owners, the caution would be forfeited. The French State remains the owner of the ship until it is broken up.

Ban Asbestos, Greenpeace and other organisations on Friday started fresh legal proceedings to prevent the ship's transfer to India.

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Media attention on Clemenceau

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