The Katchatheevu controversy

Source: The post is based on the article “The Katchatheevu controversy” published in The Hindu on 21^st August 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – International Relations

Relevance: India and Sri Lanka agreement on Katchatheevu.

News: Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister M. K. Stalin restarted discussions about Katchatheevu, a barren islet near Rameswaram. He called to reclaim the islet from Sri Lanka as it would permanently resolve issues for local fishermen.

He said that even though fishermen were set free after being caught by Sri Lanka, their boats and fishing nets, essential to their livelihoods, were not given back.

When did Katchatheevu become a part of Sri Lanka?

In June 1974, India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Sirim R.D. Bandaranaike signed an agreement to establish the boundary between the two countries from Palk Strait to Adam’s Bridge.

The boundary was determined by historical evidence and international legal principles, placing Katchatheevu within Sri Lanka’s territory.

How important is Kachatheevu?

Both countries’ fishermen have historically used the islet for fishing.

However, the March 1976 pact specified that fishermen must not fish in the historic waters, territorial sea, or exclusive zones of either country without permission from Sri Lanka or India.

Some political groups and Tamil Nadu fishermen view Katchatheevu’s reclamation as a remedy for illegal maritime boundary crossings.

However, fishermen in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province believe this would worsen their problems, given Tamil Nadu fishermen’s use of bottom trawling on their territorial waters.

What led to the talks between India and Sri Lanka over Kachatheevu?

Sri Lanka claimed Kachatheevu due to Portuguese rule from 1505-1658 CE, while India argued it was under the control of the former Raja of Ramnad.

However, in a July 1974 Lok Sabha debate, External Affairs Minister Swaran Singh explained that the decision to include Kachatheevu as part of Sri Lanka resulted from extensive research into historical and other records concerning the islet.

Since then, there have been multiple instances where political leaders have resurfaced the issue of Katchatheevu. Over the past 15 years, both Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi have brought the issue before the Supreme Court.

How has the Centre responded regarding the issue?

In August 2013, India told the Supreme Court that the issue of reclaiming Kachchatheevu from Sri Lanka didn’t exist, as no Indian land was given to Sri Lanka.

They said it was a historical dispute between British India and Ceylon, settled by the 1974 and 1976 agreements.

In December 2022, the government mentioned to the Rajya Sabha that Katchatheevu is on Sri Lanka’s side of the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line.