The Kachchatheevu Issue..

[HeinzGud]

The Kachchatheevu Issue.. what should be the solutions?

Condemning the latest attack on Indian fishermen allegedly by Sri Lankan Naval personnel, CPI leader D. Raja today said India should reopen the 1974 agreement ceding Katchatheevu to the island nation to find a lasting solution to the recurring mid-sea incidents

CPI condemns SL attack on TN fishermen - Sri Lanka News Now

The History

A part of India until 1974, it has belonged to Sri Lanka since India ceded the island in 1974. This transfer of an island that is culturally important to fishermen of Tamil Nadu state in India has led to some agitations by Tamil Nadu politicians that it should be returned to Indian sovereignty. The island is also important for fishing grounds used by fishers from both the countries. Under the treaty agreement of 1974, Indian fishermen have rights to rich fishing grounds in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka around Kachchativu. But as part of the Sri Lankan civil war, this arrangement has led to many difficulties with the Sri Lankan Navy that is deployed to prevent smuggling of weapons by the rebel group LTTE. The island has a Catholic shrine that attracts devotees from both the countries. On 2009, Tamil Nadu Government declared that the area is controlled by the Sri Lanka against the original pact of allowing Indian fishermen to access the water of Sri Lanka. This tensions and the killings of Tamil fishermen created a diaspora in and across India and the governments of both the countries held conversation and finally the Sri Lankan government allowed a full access term to Indian fishermen till Jaffna Line and released the fishermen jailed for a while. The problem continue to grow as more fisherman move in to the Sri Lankan sea area. In 2010 the Sri Lankan government issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government saying the Indian court cannot nullify the 1974 agreement.

In June 2011, the new Tamil Nadu government led by Jayalalithaa filed a petition in Supreme Court seeking the declaration of the 1974 and 1976 agreements between India and Sri Lanka on ceding of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka as unconstitutional. The court ruled in Berubari case that cession of Indian territory to another country had to be ratified by parliament through amendment of the constitution. Katchatheevu was ceded to Sri Lanka in violation to the court under the 1974 and 1976 agreements without the approval of two Houses of Parliament.

Kachchatheevu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The solution

• Deterring illegal Indian poachers, utilizing the marine fisheries resource to the maximum and defeating the Tamil expansionist agenda of both Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka.
• Creating new multi ethnic fishing communities in the north equipped with mechanized fishing boats and trawlers is the crux of the solution. They should be provided with security by the Sri Lanka navy when under threat from illegal poachers. Adequate fishing in Sri Lankan waters by own fishermen would not leave economically profitable quantities of fish to illegal Indian fishermen given the risk of hostility.
• Aggressive fishing practices must be adopted by local fishing trawlers within Sri Lankan waters. It is also a good idea to set up a fishing unit attached to security forces or sponsored by the government. It can fulfill the demand for fish of over 200,000 men on duty thus reducing recurrent defense expenditure.

LankaWeb – Tamil Nadu Illegal Fishermen in Lankan Waters Could be Poaching 95,000MT Fish Valued Over US$750 Million Annually

 

[tiranga]

What an idiocity, why do we have a ----ing navy and coastguard for?? Man, this congrass is really frustating....

 

[Tomcat]

i have a better salution still blow the SLN out of the water and take back the ----ing island

 

[HeinzGud]

Why in the first place India ceded the island to SL? Why not TN objected to the cession in '76?

 

[HeinzGud]

Katchatheevu ceded to Sri Lanka despite DMK opposition: Karunanidhi - India - DNA

Hitting back at chief minister Jayalalithaa for criticising him over the contentious Katchatheevu issue, DMK president M Karunanidhi recalled his erstwhile government's efforts over it and charged her with virtually supporting a move to cede the islet.

"During the recent discussion in the assembly on a resolution proposed by Jayalalithaa, seeking to implead the revenue department in a case filed by her on retrieving Katchatheevu, she and other opposition members spoke as if the Centre ceded it at the behest of DMK," he said.

Writing in the party mouthpiece Murasoli, he said Jayalalithaa and others had also charged him with being responsible for the 'destruction' of Tamil Nadu and the Cauvery issue, which itself showed the resolution was moved with an aim of targeting him.

Katchatheevu, ceded to Sri Lanka by India through an agreement in 1974, was done despite DMK's opposition, he said in his counter to Jayalalithaa that the then DMK government did not oppose it, despite being kept in the know.

Stating that DMK had never shied away from demanding its retrieval, he recalled having assured the assembly in 2009 he was ready to move a resolution that the party never supported ceding of Katchatheevu.

"We had pressed for fishermen's rights on the islet, including drying catch and the nets (which was there in the agreement). But they were withdrawn in the Emergency," he said adding DMK had been striving hard to include those rights again since then. It had even staged a walkout in Parliament on this matter, he added.

He pointed out that Jayalalithaa had in a letter to then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao in 1992, said the islet was ceded "in the interest of bilateral relations".

 

[maomao]

Congress is steady and stealthy selling off our land to our neighbors, so that they can stall any confrontation (this allows a smooth sailing of all the govt. contracts/ looting spree going through - uninterrupted).....if this charade keeps on going - soon we will be losing a 'major chunk' of our land to a rouge state.......AFPSA removal will be the initiating point. The corrupt are running free (majority are out of incarceration) with their billions looted from the poor of this country....now even our land is being sold off for 'God' knows how much by these virmins!

This is exactly what happens when your country is being run by a shadow govt. taking orders from Foreigners and other institutions and to top it up - we have the most corrupt, ruthless and shameless politicians at the helm of power!

If BJP would have done something like this - what would have been the reaction of the congressi owned sold out media groups such as NDTV, IBN, India Today et al? Just a thought!

 

[SajeevJino]

Tamil Nadu wants Sri Lanka to return Katchatheevu​

Article Dated May 21,2013

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has reiterated that Katchatheevu, the fishing islet has to be retrieved back by India in an endeavour to provide a permanent solution to the problem of Indian fishermen.

In a letter to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today, Jayalalithaa has recalled the various instances in which fishermen were harassed for fishing near Katchatheevu, which is often counted as crossing the Indian borders.

Jayalalithaa in her letter also referred to the case filed by her in the Supreme Court in this regard.

On the issue of safety and security of fishermen, she said that Prime Minister should take urgent steps to retrieve the islet and the surrounding areas from Sri Lanka.

She also submitted to the Prime Minister, an unanimous resolution passed by the State Assembly for retrieval of Katchatheevu.

Katchatheevu is a controversial uninhabited island administered by Sri Lanka. This island was given to Sri Lanka by India in 1974 on a conditional basis. It has a Catholic shrine and has been declared as a sacred area by the government of Sri Lanka.

Tamil Nadu wants Sri Lanka to return Katchatheevu

 

[JBH22]

Katchatheevu is a controversial uninhabited island administered by Sri Lanka. This island was given to Sri Lanka by India in 1974 on a conditional basis.

Why the hell we keep giving Indian territory, is it a compulsion of Indian leaders to gift Indian land?

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Kachchatheevu Issue

Gesundheit!

 

[natarajan]

most of the countries like china are trying to get back their lost land inspite of large land they have but in india with less land and high population including incoming waves of bangladeshis we are happy to donate land to other countries ,hope it doest start donating states to other countries like kasmir pakistan,ap china ,tn srilanka etc

 

[natarajan]

Why the hell we keep giving Indian territory, is it a compulsion of Indian leaders to gift Indian land?

why cant they gift their own house or money ,how could they donate island something serious flaw in law

 

[TrueSpirit]

Tamil Nadu wants Sri Lanka to return Katchatheevu​

Article Dated May 21,2013

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has reiterated that Katchatheevu, the fishing islet has to be retrieved back by India in an endeavour to provide a permanent solution to the problem of Indian fishermen.

In a letter to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today, Jayalalithaa has recalled the various instances in which fishermen were harassed for fishing near Katchatheevu, which is often counted as crossing the Indian borders.

Jayalalithaa in her letter also referred to the case filed by her in the Supreme Court in this regard.

On the issue of safety and security of fishermen, she said that Prime Minister should take urgent steps to retrieve the islet and the surrounding areas from Sri Lanka.

She also submitted to the Prime Minister, an unanimous resolution passed by the State Assembly for retrieval of Katchatheevu.

Katchatheevu is a controversial uninhabited island administered by Sri Lanka. This island was given to Sri Lanka by India in 1974 on a conditional basis. It has a Catholic shrine and has been declared as a sacred area by the government of Sri Lanka.

Tamil Nadu wants Sri Lanka to return Katchatheevu

Why give the islet in the first place, only to first demand the return later ?

This leads to confusion among local communities, especially among those who venture out in sea for their livelihood.

Were these political leaders/parties & their supporters dreaming, when this ilet transfer & joint-ownership arrangement was made ?

 

[SajeevJino]

Does GoI take care of this Issue Raised from Our Side