Katchatheevu Island | 03 Apr 2024

Source: IE

Why in News?

The Katchatheevu Island has garnered attention for its role in the India-Sri Lanka relationship and the contentious fishing rights issue, showcasing the complexities of maritime boundary disputes and fishing rights in the area.

What is Dispute Related to Katchatheevu Island?

• About:
  • Katchatheevu is a 285-acre uninhabited island in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka.
  • Located northeast of Rameswaram, approximately 33 km from the Indian coast, it sits about 62 km southwest of Jaffna, at the northern tip of Sri Lanka.
  • Katchatheevu is not suited for permanent human settlement as there is no source of drinking water on the island.
    • The island's sole structure is St. Anthony's church, an early 20^th-century Catholic shrine, where Christian priests from India and Sri Lanka conduct an annual festival service attended by devotees from both countries.
• History of island:
  • Origin: The Island was formed as a result of volcanic eruption in the 14^th-century.
  • Early Rulers: The region was initially ruled by the Jaffna kingdom of Sri Lanka in the early medieval period, but control later shifted to the Ramnad zamindari under Nayak dynasty of Madurai in the 17^th century.
  • Dispute:
    • India: The ownership dispute over Katchatheevu between India and Sri Lanka, which had been part of the Madras Presidency during the British Raj, persisted until 1974, with both countries claiming the island as their own.
    • Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka claimed sovereignty over Katchatheevu on the ground that the Portuguese who had occupied the island during 1505-1658 CE had exercised jurisdiction over the islet.
  • 1974: Under Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement the island’s transfer to Sri Lanka occurred.
  • 1976: An additional agreement was made that prevented both countries from fishing in each other's Exclusive Economic Zones, with Katchatheevu positioned at the boundary of these zones, causing ambiguity over fishing rights.
  • 2009: After Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in 2009, tensions escalated over Indian fishermen entering Sri Lankan waters, leading to arrests, allegations of custodial torture, and renewed retrieval demands regarding Katchatheevu.
  • Contentious Issues:
    • The 1974 agreement permitted Indian fishermen to continue accessing Katchatheevu.
    • Due to differing interpretation of the agreement by both sides, it failed to resolve the fishing rights issue, with Sri Lanka limiting Indian fishermen's access to activities such as resting, drying nets, and visiting the Catholic shrine without visa.

What has been the Stand of the Various Stakeholder on the Issue?

• Tamil Nadu’s Stand:
  • In 1973, then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu had urged centre to retain Katchatheevu, stating it belonged to India and not just Tamil Nadu.
  • In 1991, the issue resurfaced when the then Chief Minister called for its retrieval later modifying her demand to a perpetual lease of the Island with both Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition approaching the Supreme Court.
• Union Government’s Stand:
  • 2013: The Union government informed the Supreme Court that the issue of reclaiming Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka was irrelevant as no Indian territory was relinquished, citing historical disputes settled by agreements in 1974 and 1976.
  • 2022: However, the Union government, while referring to the two agreements, pointed out in its reply in the Rajya Sabha that Katchatheevu “lies on the Sri Lankan side of the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line.”
  • The matter is still sub judice in the Supreme Court.