Know more about Katchatheevu island dispute

New Delhi: The continued firing upon the Indian fishermen of Tamilnadu has created a political storm in the politically volatile state and the Katchatheevu island has assumed political significance. Other than the Congress party, almost all other political parties in Tamil Nadu are in favour of retrieving Katchatheevu. Most of the parties feel that the 1974 and 1976 agreements are a stumbling-block in the path of retrieving Katchatheevu island. So first of all let's go back and see what Katchatheevu island dispute is about: Katchatheevu is a controversial uninhabited island administered by Sri Lanka. In 1974, India recognized the Sri Lankan ownership to the island on a conditional agreement. But, historical evidence abounds that Katchatheevu was the zamindari of the Raja of Ramnad, and subsequently became a part of the State of Tamil Nadu. The Memoirs of the Governor of Ceylon from 1757 to 1762 clearly establishes the control of the Raja of Ramnad over the island. In 1921, a meeting of British officials in Colombo to discuss maritime boundary issues has referred to India's territorial claim on Katchatheevu. After independence, the island was listed as a part of Ramanathapuram district in the 1972 Gazetteers: Ramanathapuram by the Government of Tamil Nadu. It has a Catholic shrine and has been declared as a sacred area by the government of Sri Lanka. As part of the settlement, Indian fishermen and pilgrims were allowed access to Katchatheevu as hitherto, and were not required by Sri Lanka to have travel documents or visas. Fishermen were thus free to visit the island for rest, for drying their nets, and for the annual St. Anthony's festival. But Indian fishermen do not have rights to fishing around the island as it is within the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. But as part of the Sri Lankan civil war, this arrangement has led to many difficulties with the Sri Lankan Navy that was deployed to prevent smuggling of weapons by the rebel group LTTE. The island is culturally important to fishermen of Tamil Nadu and has led to agitations by Tamil politicians demanding that India should claim sovereignty. On 2009, Tamil Nadu Government declared that the area is controlled by Sri Lanka against the original pact of allowing Indian fishermen to access the water of Sri Lanka. This tension and the atrocious killings of Tamil fishermen by Srilakan forces has created disquiet across India and the governments of both the countries held talks. 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 continues to grow as more fisherman move into 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 court ruled in Berubari case that cession of Indian Territory to another country had to be ratified by parliament through amendment of the constitution. Katchatheevu was ceded to Sri Lanka in violation of court orders under the 1974 and 1976 agreements without seeking approval of two Houses of Parliament.