Kachchatheevu
Encyclopedia
Kachchatheevu or Katchatheevu or Kachativu ( Kaccatīvu) is an uninhabited island belonging to Sri Lanka. This island is given to Sri Lanka by India in 1974.
It has a Catholic shrine and has been declared as a sacred area by the government of Sri Lanka.
and Sri Lanka
.
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 supreme court of India in 1960 in Berubari case(Case on exchange of enclaves in Kutch with Pakistan) ruled that cession of Indian territory to another country should be ratified by parliament through amendment of the constitution. Katchatheevu was ceded to Sri-lanka ignoring this ruling of the supreme court, under the 1974 and 1976 agreements, without the approval of two Houses of Parliament.
It has a Catholic shrine and has been declared as a sacred area by the government of Sri Lanka.
Geography
285 acres (1.2 km²) island is situated between IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and 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 NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
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
Sri Lankan Navy
-The Beginning and World War II:In January 1938 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force was created with Commander W.G. Beauchamp as Commanding Officer under ordinance No I of 1937. On 31 August 1939 at the out set of World War II, the CNVF was mobilized for war duties...
that is deployed to prevent smuggling of weapons by the rebel group LTTE. The island has a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
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 supreme court of India in 1960 in Berubari case(Case on exchange of enclaves in Kutch with Pakistan) ruled that cession of Indian territory to another country should be ratified by parliament through amendment of the constitution. Katchatheevu was ceded to Sri-lanka ignoring this ruling of the supreme court, under the 1974 and 1976 agreements, without the approval of two Houses of Parliament.