KATCHATHEEVU ISLAND

• Location:

Katchatheevu is a 285-acre uninhabited island located in the Palk Strait, lying between India and Sri Lanka
Katchatheevu lies 33 km off the Indian coast near Rameswaram and is positioned 62 km to the southwest of Jaffna, close to Sri Lanka’s northern tip.

• Strategic Importance:
  – Serves as a maritime boundary reference point between India and Sri Lanka.
  – A rich fishing ground, vital to the livelihood of Tamil Nadu’s fishing community.
  – Home to St. Anthony’s Church, a site of religious and cultural importance for fishermen from both countries.
  
  
• History:
  – The Island was formed as a result of volcanic eruption in the 14th-century.
  – In the early medieval period, the region was under the rule of the Jaffna kingdom of Sri Lanka, but by the 17th century, control passed to the Ramnad zamindari under the Nayak dynasty of Madurai.
  
  
• Dispute:
  – India’s Claim: Katchatheevu, once part of the Madras Presidency under British rule, remained a point of contention until 1974, with India maintaining that the island rightfully belonged to it.
  – Sri Lanka’s Claim: Sri Lanka asserted sovereignty on the grounds that the Portuguese (1505–1658 CE) had exercised jurisdiction over the islet, strengthening its historical claim.
  – 1974 Agreement: The Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement formally transferred Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.
  – 1976 Agreement: A supplementary pact barred both nations’ fishermen from operating in each other’s Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). Since Katchatheevu lies on the maritime boundary, the deal created ambiguities over traditional fishing rights.
  – Post-2009 Tensions: Following the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war, incidents of Indian fishermen entering Sri Lankan waters increased, resulting in arrests, alleged custodial violence, and a renewed demand within India for the retrieval of Katchatheevu.
  
  
• Recent Developments:
  – Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has once again unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Union government to retrieve Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka.