A view of Katchatheevu in Sri Lanka.
| Picture Credit score: L. BALACHANDAR
The statements popping out of Bharat on “reclaiming” Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka have “no ground”, the Sri Lankan Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda has mentioned.
The senior Sri Lankan Tamil flesh presser’s feedback got here days next the Narendra Modi executive focused the Congress Birthday celebration and its best friend the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu accusing them of overlooking nationwide pursuits within the ceding of Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka in 1974.
The BJP has additionally been concentrated on the 2 events for no longer making sure the rights of the fishermen short of to fish in waters across the Katchatheevu island.
“It is the election time in India, it is not unusual to hear such noises of claims and counterclaims about Katchatheevu,” Mr. Devananda told reporters in Jaffna on Thursday.
“I think India is acting on its interests to secure this place to ensure Sri Lankan fishermen would not have any access to that area and that Sri Lanka should not claim any rights in that resourceful area”, Devananda mentioned.
The statements on “reclaiming” Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka’s hold has “disagree field,” Mr. Devananda has said.
The Sri Lankan Minister said according to the 1974 agreement fishermen from both sides could do fishing in the territorial waters of both countries. But it was later reviewed and amended in 1976.
Accordingly, fishermen from both countries were banned from fishing in neighbouring waters.
Mr. Devananda stressed, “There claims to be a place called West Bank which is located below Kanyakumari — it is a much bigger area with extensive sea resources — it is 80 times bigger than Katchatheevu, India secured it at the 1976 review agreement.”
Mr. Devananda because the Fisheries Minister has confronted power from the native fishermen in contemporary months.
The native fishermen have led prevalent protests to prohibit unlawful fishing by means of their Indian opposite numbers within the Sri Lankan waters. They are saying the base trawling by means of the Indians is destructive to Sri Lankan fishing nation pursuits.
Up to now this pace, a minimum of 178 Indian fishermen and 23 trawlers were arrested by means of the Sri Lanka Military.
Mr. Devananda, an ex-Tamil militant who now leads the Eelam Population’s Democratic Birthday celebration, used to be named a proclaimed perpetrator by means of a court docket in Chennai in 1994.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) suggested sunlit of the row shape Katchatheevu island.
To a volley of questions at the Katchatheevu factor, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal referred to Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s contemporary feedback at the subject.
“I would like to tell you that on the issues that have been raised, the External Affairs Minister has spoken to the press here in Delhi and also in Gujarat clarifying all the issues,” he mentioned.
“I would refer that you please look at his press engagements. You will get your answers there,” Mr. Jaiswal mentioned in Untouched Delhi.
