Tamil Nadu politicians have been trying for a long time to get the Kachchativu island back from India. It has also become a political promise of some Tamil Nadu politicians that Kachchativu Island will be recaptured for the benefit of Indian fishermen. Recently, it came to the fore again with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK. Due to a statement made by Stalin.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the inauguration of a development project in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on the 26th. Addressing the gathering, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin called on Narendra Modi to retake the Kachchativu island that India had given to Sri Lanka decades ago.
As the Prime Minister is in Tamil Nadu, I would like to make a few requests on behalf of the people. He called on the people of the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu to take steps to reclaim Kachchativu Island and re-establish their fishing rights so that a major problem of the fishing community can be resolved. However, Prime Minister Modi did not respond to his request at the time, commenting on the current situation in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is currently facing a difficult time and as a close friend and neighbor, we must work to provide financial assistance, food, medicine and other assistance to Sri Lanka. Many Indian organizations and individuals have provided assistance to Sri Lanka. India is always with the people of Sri Lanka. We support Sri Lanka's democratic stance and economic development, ”said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin recently donated 40,000 tons of rice worth Rs. 800 million, 137 life-saving medicines worth Rs. 280 million and 500 kilograms of milk powder worth Rs. 150 million to Sri Lanka. He made this request to Prime Minister Modi a few days later. The fact that he is going to provide assistance to Sri Lanka without saying anything about the request of Prime Minister Modi Stalin shows that he is not so keen on capturing the Kachchativu island.
Kachchativu Island is an uninhabited island of about 285 acres in Sri Lanka, about 17 km from Rameswaram in India and about 90 km from Kankesanthurai. It is believed to have belonged to the Ramanad kingdom in India in the past and the historical information that has now been found about this island is Cree. ව. Dating back to 1609. It is said that the island belonged to an Indian royal family called Sethupathi.
During the British rule, it was ruled by both India and Sri Lanka. At that time both India and Sri Lanka were British colonies and both Sri Lanka and India were not barred from using the Kachchativu Island. Therefore, the island was used by fishermen from both countries. To this island where there is not a drop of drinking water. Indian fishermen came frequently and used it to dry their nets and to park their boats. Pilgrims from both countries came there for a week-long church feast at the end of March each year, as there was an old Catholic church dedicated to St. Anthony.
The situation changed after the British rule. Disputes arose over ownership of the island. The international dispute over the ownership of Kachchativu Island since 1947 was put to an end by an agreement signed on June 26, 1974 by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi handed over the Kachchativu Island to Sri Lanka. The agreement also protected the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen to fish in and around Kachchativu. But with the signing of the Maritime Boundary Treaty in 1976 to demarcate the Gulf of Mannar and the Bay of Bengal, its ownership of India and the right of Indian fishermen to use the island were hampered. Fishermen in Tamil Nadu said the two agreements had dealt a severe blow to their industry. Since then, Indian fishermen have repeatedly called on the Tamil Nadu government to take over Kachchativu Island. They pointed out that it would be a great convenience to their industry to facilitate fishing and to use it as an intermediate island for that industry.
Karunanidhi, the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, had said that the issue should be taken to the Supreme Court, but it was not implemented. In 2008, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking annulment of the agreements signed between 1974 and 1976. The former Chief Minister had alleged that fishing in the vicinity of the island was permitted under the 1974 agreement, but that the 1976 agreement had revoked that right.
On May 3, 2013, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous resolution calling on the Government of India to take immediate action to regain control of the Kachchativu island in the Gulf of Palk, which had been ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974. Their proposal was to take such steps to stop the Sri Lankan Navy's continued attacks, torture and arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen. At a meeting of the Tamil Nadu Panchayat Council in June 2016, former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram had pledged to take over the Kachchativu island to India and had not given up on the idea of taking over the Kachchativu island until after her death.
Claiming ownership of Kachchativu Island, Indian fishermen are also seeking to encroach on Sri Lankan waters. The problem of invading Sri Lankan waters and exploiting Sri Lanka's fisheries resources has not yet been resolved. Local fishermen allege that their trawlers are damaging the seabed, destroying our country's fish resources. They are also often seen attacking Sri Lankan fishermen, cutting their nets and stealing their fish harvest. In the recent past, various protests have erupted in the North demanding a solution to this crisis. The Navy also regularly arrests Indian fishermen and their boats.
It is clear that Tamil Nadu politicians are demanding the return of Kachchativu Island to India for their own political survival. Some time ago, the Hindu newspaper in India had said that they were making such statements to get the votes of the people in the coastal areas of Rameshwaram, Pudukottai and Nagapattinam. If Kachchativu Island can be recaptured by India, Rameshwaram fishermen will have an additional seven nautical miles. But it is unlikely that Indian fishermen will be able to fish within seven nautical miles of the area for fishing. Even if the island belongs to India, they will invade Sri Lankan waters and exploit our fish resources. No clear solution has yet been found to prevent illegal Indian fishermen from invading Sri Lankan waters.
According to the Deccan Herald website, an unnamed spokesman for Kachchativu Island said the agreement signed in 1974 could not be changed but was looking for ways and means to fully implement the agreement. He urged Sri Lanka to act in accordance with Article 6 of the Kachchativu Agreement and pointed out that the issue could be easily resolved if Sri Lanka agreed to it. Articles 5 and 6 of the 1974 Convention guarantee the use of Kachchativu Island by Indian fishermen and pilgrims, and the right of Sri Lankan and Indian fishermen to fish in those waters. He added that with the rapidly changing geopolitical situation in the region, Sri Lanka would recognize the rights of Indian fishermen.
Although Prime Minister Modi has not responded to Stalin's request, Tamil Nadu politicians are confident that the BJP, which has yet to gain much popularity in Tamil Nadu, will find a solution to this long-standing problem before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, thereby gaining the confidence of the Tamil people. Political commentators have pointed out that this will take time. We should not feel that India is rushing and forcing Sri Lanka and should take steps to achieve it slowly. We must build trust in each other and reach a friendly solution with Sri Lanka. They have stated.
No comments:
Post a Comment