New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi should refrain from “manipulative politicking” and “reckless” claims on Katchatheevu, which would be “perilous” in international diplomacy, asserted a Sri Lankan news website in an editorial Monday.
In its editorial, the Sri Lanka Guardian warned against the harms of using Katchatheevu for domestic electoral victories as it would harm Indian diplomacy.
“Such rhetoric [reclaiming Katchatheevu], though potentially resonating with certain factions of the electorate, is not only reckless but perilous in the realm of international diplomacy,” it said.
“It is imperative that Prime Minister Modi and his administration refrain from engaging in manipulative politicking with delicate matters that carry profound repercussions, particularly in India’s relations with its neighbours.”
The editorial comes on a day when Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar at a press conference at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters asserted that the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) “hid” the giving away of the uninhabited, barren island to Sri Lanka in 1974.
The controversy erupted Sunday when BJP Tamil Nadu state president K. Annamalai attacked the DMK on the basis of RTI replies he obtained, for giving away the island and hiding its actions from the public. Modi waded into the controversy and accused the Congress of “callously” giving away the island.
However, a 2015 RTI reply published by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, highlighted that the issue of “ceding” or “acquiring” territory does not arise as there were no demarcated boundaries till 1974 and 1976 agreements between India and Sri Lanka.
The two agreements demarcated the maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka, which saw Katchatheevu recognised as a part of Sri Lankan territory. In 1991, the Tamil Nadu assembly passed a resolution calling for the retrieval of the island.
In 2008, cases were filed in the Supreme Court in an attempt to have the two boundary agreements struck down. The then Sri Lankan foreign minister Rohita Bogollagama asserted that the court’s decisions were not binding on Sri Lanka and would not change the status of the island.
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‘International law in favour of Lanka’
The editorial by the Sri Lanka Guardian highlighted that international law is on the side of the island country and “exploiting sensitive” international issues will only serve to undermine international confidence in New Delhi.
“It is inconceivable that the Prime Minister remains unaware of the intricate nuances of international law regarding Kachchateevu’s sovereignty. As underscored by the Attorney General of India in 2014, Kachchativu undeniably falls under Sri Lanka’s jurisdiction, as delineated by bilateral and multilateral agreements endorsed by all involved parties, including the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” said the editorial.
“The contemporary world necessitates collaboration and diplomacy, not aggressive posturing and territorial ambitions. Furthermore, exploiting sensitive international issues for political gains only serves to undermine trust and stability in the region.”
In 2014, at a hearing on a clutch of petitions regarding the Supreme Court’s intervention in ensuring the release of detained fishermen by the Sri Lankan government, the then attorney general had said that to “retrieve” Katchatheevu would require New Delhi to go to war.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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