TN MPs want India to reclaim Katchatheevu
Indian Rajya Sabha members from the AIADMK, DMK and the CPI want the Centre to renegotiate with the government of Sri Lanka to reclaim the island of Katchatheevu.
Buoyed by the passage of the Constitution Amendment Bill to ratify the land border agreement with Bangladesh, these MPs said the government must reconsider the exchange of Katchatheevu as it was not done through a constitutional amendment and has not served India’s interest.
A. Navaneethakrishnan of the AIADMK said the “ceding” of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka without any constitutional amendment has adversely affected the livelihood of fishermen of Tamil Nadu.
“The ceding of Katchatheevu is in total violation of the views given by the Supreme Court in a Presidential reference in the Berubari case,” he said, adding that a case has been filed in the Supreme Court by AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa.
In 2011, the government of Tamil Nadu impleaded itself as a party in this case since it is the custodian of all land records. This case is still pending in the Supreme Court.
“The ceding of Katchatheevu is illegal and unconstitutional… I urge the Centre to rescind the 1974 agreement with Sri Lanka ceding Katchatheevu,” Mr. Navaneethakrishnan said.
CPI’s D. Raja also raised the issue and said there has to be consensus on issues of foreign policy and the view of the State was not taken into consideration during the agreement on Katchatheevu. “There are already problems at the borders with Pakistan and China…the Southern border will always be tense,” he said, urging the government to take up the issue with the Sri Lankan government.
DMK’s Tiruchi Siva said the government should settle the Katchatheevu issue like it did the dispute with Bangladesh. He said there were no records to prove that the island was with Sri Lanka.
Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj said the issue is sub judice and she cannot comment on it, the Hindu reports.
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no way you Indians will get it are you not satisfied with the land mass you have just trying to bully a little island you Indians should be ashamed of yourself, you tried so many ways to bully us firs you trained the LTTE later the tiger bit the hand that fed it now what next we may be small but remember the pepper seed is so small but very hot
Dear Concerned,
Your sense of patriotism is highly appreciated. But we shall have to remember that the attitude of our Hon. Prime Minister on the subject may be very lethargic. Remember when Thoppigala was captured by the LTTE during his tenure, he responded saying ‘ Thoppigala kiyanne… loku kelawak,’ This time he might say ‘Kachchativu kiyanne loku kantarayak . I shall therefore hand it over to Tamil Nadu.’
We have got the rulers we (don’t) deserve.