CAN INDIA CLAIM KACHCHATHEEVU ISLAND?

Kachchatheevu Island is located in Palk Bay, one and a half nautical miles from the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) on our side of IMBL.

- By Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne

It's well within our side, and this boundary line was ratified in 1976 in a Trilateral Maritime Agreement signed by India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, which indicates territorial waters, Contiguous Zones and Exclusive Economic Zones of the three countries and agreed/ ratified by the United Nations.

So as far as Kachchatheevu Island is concerned, it's Sri Lankan territorywell within our territorial waters.

Then why has Kachchatheevu Island, 183 acres of land surrounded by beautiful corals and very rich fishing grounds, become a contentious issue between India (especially with Tamil Nadu politics) and Sri Lanka?

Tamil Nadu politicians are always eyeing Kachchatheevu, saying it was "gifted" to Sri Lanka by Shrimathi Indira Gandhi in 1976! However, I have to emphasise to readers that KACHCHATHEEVU WAS NEVER A PART OF INDIA.

The only claim they can indicate was that during the time of the British Empire in the mid-1800s (time of Queen Victoriareign 1837-1901), Kachchatheevu was given on lease to Raja Ramand (Maharaja of Ramnathpuram) to do "chunk fishing" around the island.

Please read the book "Kachchatheevu" by the late W. T. Jayasinghe, the Defence and External Affairs Ministry Permanent Secretary from 1972 to 1977, when Sirimavo Bandaranaike was our Prime Minister.

He was the father of the late Chrishantha Romesh Jayasinghe, who was our Foreign Secretary and then High Commissioner to New Delhi from October 2009 until his passing in August 2011.