Katchatheevu Island a done deal, India has not expressed intention to reverse

By Kelum Bandara 

India has no intention to reverse the agreement that ceded  the Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka despite the political debate in  India that is primarily meant for domestic consumption in view of the  upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Daily Mirror learns.   

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday targeted the  DMK over the Katchatheevu island issue, alleging the ruling party of  Tamil Nadu did nothing to safeguard the state’s interests. New details  emerging on the issue of India handing over the Katchatheevu island to  Sri Lanka have unmasked the DMK’s double standards totally, he said on X. 

It is apparent that the current Indian ruling Bharatiya  Janata Party (BJP) is not in favour of the position taken by the then  Indian National Congress government. However, the agreement has now  been signed, and an informed source said the current debate in India has  nothing to do with Sri Lanka.   

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said  yesterday that India and Sri Lanka in June 1974 concluded an agreement  where they drew that maritime boundary and Katchatheevu was put on the  Sri Lankan side of the boundary.   

This agreement of 1974 had three other clauses. One clause  which said that each country shall have sovereignty and exclusive  jurisdiction and control over the waters. The second clause, Article 5,  it gave to Indian fishermen that they would continue to access  Katchatheevu as hitherto and will not be required to obtain travel  documents. And the third one, that the vessels of India and Sri Lanka  will enjoy in each other’s waters, such rights that they have  traditionally enjoyed.   

There was another agreement between India and Sri Lanka  through an exchange of letters. In it, India proposed that with the establishment of the exclusive economic zones by the two countries,  India and Sri Lanka will exercise sovereign rights over the living and  non-living resources of their respective zone. He said, that in the last 20  years, 6,184 Indian fishermen have been detained by Sri Lanka and 1,175  Indian fishing vessels seized, detained, and apprehended by the Sri  Lankan authorities.           

• India and Sri Lanka in June 1974 concluded an agreement  where they drew that maritime boundary and Katchatheevu was put on the  Sri Lankan side of the boundary