The Kachchatheevu Island Controversy
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin, has revived the debate over Katchatheevu by reiterating the demand for retrieval from Sri Lanka.
Kachchatheevu is an uninhabited and barren 285 acre islet about 14 nautical miles off Rameswaram.
When Did Kachchatheevu Become A Part of Sri Lanka
It is an uninhabited off-shore island in the Palk Strait originally owned by a king of Ramnad (present-day Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu).
The island is used by fishermen to dry their nets.
During the British rule, it was administered jointly by India and Sri Lanka.
In the early 20th century, Sri Lanka claimed territorial ownership over the islet, so in 1974 India ceded the island to Sri Lanka, through a joint agreement.
Two years later through another accord, India further gave up its fishing rights in the region.
What Triggered The Negotiations Between India And Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka claimed sovereignty over Kachchatheevu on the ground that the Portuguese who had occupied the island during 1505-1658 CE had exercised jurisdiction over the islet.
India’s contention was that the erstwhile Raja of Ramnad [Ramanathapuram] had possession of it as part of his zamin.
What Has Been The Stand of The Union Government On The Issue
The question of retrieval of Kachchatheevu from Sri Lanka did not arise as no territory belonging to India was ceded to Sri Lanka. This was told by the Union government to the Supreme Court in August 2013.
It contended that the islet was a matter of dispute between British India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and there was no agreed boundary.
This matter was settled through 1974 and 1976 agreements.
In December 2022, the Union government, while referring to the two agreements, pointed out in its reply in the Rajya Sabha that Kachchatheevu lies on the Sri Lankan side of the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line.
0 Comments