India affirms commitment to Katchatheevu Island Pact amidst political discourse
April 02, Colombo (LNW): India has affirmed its commitment to uphold the agreement transferring sovereignty of the Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka, despite recent political discourse within India, largely attributed to domestic considerations amidst the approaching Lok Sabha elections, Daily Mirror claimed citing sources.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the DMK party on Monday regarding the Katchatheevu island matter, accusing the ruling party of Tamil Nadu of neglecting the state’s interests.
Modi’s remarks shed light on the DMK’s purported inconsistency concerning the issue, as reported by X.
It is evident that the current ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India does not align with the stance adopted by the previous Indian National Congress government. Nevertheless, with the agreement having been formalised, insiders revealed that the ongoing debate within India does not directly involve Sri Lanka.
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reiterated yesterday that India and Sri Lanka reached an agreement in June 1974, delineating the maritime boundary and designating Katchatheevu under Sri Lankan sovereignty.
The 1974 agreement encompassed three additional clauses.
Firstly, it affirmed the sovereignty and exclusive jurisdiction of each nation over the adjacent waters.
Secondly, Article 5 guaranteed Indian fishermen continued access to Katchatheevu without the need for travel documentation.
Lastly, it ensured reciprocal rights for Indian and Sri Lankan vessels within each other’s maritime territories, consistent with historical practices.
Furthermore, an exchange of letters between India and Sri Lanka established mutual recognition of sovereign rights over living and non-living resources within their respective exclusive economic zones.
Jaishankar highlighted that over the past two decades, Sri Lankan authorities have detained 6,184 Indian fishermen and seized 1,175 Indian fishing vessels.
