New Delhi: An island positioned within the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka has emerged as a contentious subject in Indian political discourse. Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the difficulty on Monday and criticized the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for his or her stance, suggesting they’re treating the matter irresponsibly.
“Now, each political occasion in Tamil Nadu has taken a place on this. Two events, the Congress and the DMK, have approached this matter as if they haven’t any accountability for it. As if the scenario is for at this time’s central authorities to resolve, there is no such thing as a historical past to this, this has simply occurred, they’re the people who find themselves taking on the trigger; that’s the means they want to challenge it,” acknowledged the Exterior Affairs Minister throughout a press briefing.
The EAM stated that over the previous 20 years, Sri Lanka has detained 6184 Indian fishermen and seized, detained, or apprehended 1175 Indian fishing vessels…During the last 5 years, the issues regarding Katchatheevu and the Fisherman’s difficulty have been persistently introduced up in Parliament by means of questions, debates, and discussions inside the consultative committee, he added.
“The then CM of Tamil Nadu has written to me quite a few instances. And my file reveals that to the present CM, I’ve replied 21 instances on this difficulty…It is a matter which has been very a lot debated in parliament and within the Tamil Nadu circles. It has been the topic of correspondence between the union authorities and the state authorities,” stated Jaishankar indicating that this difficulty is just not new. It has been ongoing and actively mentioned each in Parliament and amongst Tamil Nadu circles, he stated.
Jaishankar additional slammed the then authorities of not caring a lot in regards to the difficulty. He stated, ” We’re speaking about 1958 and 1960… The principle folks within the case needed to be sure that at the very least we should always get the fishing rights… The island was given away in 1974 and the fishing rights got away in 1976… One, essentially the most fundamental recurring (facet) is the indifference proven by the then central authorities and the PMs in regards to the territory of India…” he added.
Traditionally, the island located between Rameswaram (India) and Sri Lanka has been utilised by fishermen from each international locations. In 1974, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi acknowledged Katchatheevu as Sri Lankan territory by means of the “Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Settlement.” The 1974 Settlement regarding historic waters within the Palk Strait and the Palk Bay between Sri Lanka and India formally affirmed Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over the island.
