Minister asserts Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over Katchatheevu island

A Sri Lankan minister, asserting the country’s sovereignty over the Katchatheevu islet, has said it was not possible for the island nation to return the islet to India.

“Katchatheevu is part of Sri Lanka according to an agreement and hence it was not possible to give it back to India,” Sri Lankan Deputy Minister for Child and Women’s Affairs Vijayakala Maheswaran told reporters while participating in the St. Antony’s Church feast in Katchatheevu Sunday.

India ceded the Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka as per the 1974 and 1976 agreements.

However, the state government of Tamil Nadu does not recognise Sri Lanka’s sovereignty of the island and constantly demands the central Indian government to retrieve it from Sri Lanka.

Tamil Nadu considers ceding of Katchatheevu as a main reason for long-standing dispute between the fishing communities of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.

When asked about the fishing rights of Indian fishermen in Katchatheevu, she said both the nations must work together to resolve the issue, New Indian Express reported.“Governments of both the countries must work together to devise a permanent solution to the fishermen’s problem,” Maheswaran said.

On releasing the seized boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen, who had strayed into their waters, she said they belonged to Sri Lanka and law disallowed releasing them.