Sri Lankan Leader Praises Ties With India Over Island Status

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that New Delhi has accepted before its top court that Katchatheevu belongs to Sri Lanka. Speaking at a public rally in the North Western Province, he highlighted his government's push for economic stability and a neutral foreign policy. The rallies were organised by the ruling National People's Power coalition to mark his completion of two years in office. Mr. Dissanayake also repeated his promise that Sri Lanka will not let its land, sea, or airspace be used to threaten India.

Legal Stance And Fishing

India's Supreme Court recently heard petitions against the 1970s ceding of the island. Attorney General R. Venkataramani informed the court that India maintains excellent ties with Sri Lanka and has no plan to reopen the agreements signed in 1974 and 1976. Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, who form the Bench, noted that both New Delhi and Tamil Nadu must educate fishermen to stay out of Sri Lankan waters. Politicians in India often raise Katchatheevu while discussing the frequent arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy for illegal fishing using bottom-trawling near the northern coast. Sri Lanka's Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar earlier welcomed the Attorney General's remarks and the court's observation on fishermen.

Context

Katchatheevu is a small island located in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka that has long been a sensitive political subject tied to fishing rights and bilateral relations in the region. Territorial waters in this area are heavily fished by communities from both countries, making maritime boundaries a frequent topic of legal and political discussion.