#Katchatheevu is back in national news!

#Katchatheevu is back in national news!

What's special about this island?🤔

Learn everything about it here👇🏼

1. Where's Katchatheevu?

• 285 acres island in Palk Strait b/w 🇮🇳🇱🇰

• 33km from 🇮🇳, 62km from 🇱🇰 (Jaffna)

• No source of freshwater and thus inhabitable

• St. Anthony's Church = only structure on the island

This church sees 2500 pilgrimages from India annually

2. History

• Early Medieval: Jaffna Kingdom

• 17th century: Ramnad kingdom🇮🇳

• Katchatheevu under Madras Presidency in British Rule

• Since 1921: contested claims by both 🇮🇳🇱🇰

🇮🇳 control till '74

• 1974: Indira Bandaranaike Pact → island to 🇱🇰 in '76

Wait, why? What's the reason?🤔

Pact (an agreement) stated👇🏼

In accordance with historical evidence, international legal principles, & precedents with boundary 1mile to west of uninhabited island

& set boundary 1 mile west of the unihabited island

It's a long debate with Ramnad kingdom collecting taxes from this 'last post'

3. Importance for 🇮🇳 

a) Fishermen

b) Maritime Security

c) Political implications

a) Fishermen

• Waters rich in Fish resources

• Traditional access to its waters

• Place to dry the nets in mid of water

Ceding territory led to conflicts to a point where PM Wickramasinghe said (2015):

"Indian fishermen risked being shot near Katchatheevu"

b) Maritime security

• Maritime strategic location in Palk Strait

• Island control gives strategic leverage

..no points for guessing that China is interested in its control!😮

c) Political implications 

• Tamilians most impacted (read graphic)

• Consistent efforts from TN govt. to get it back

• Govt. of. India in SC (Jan '14)

"🇱🇰 has sovereign control over island"😏

What's the issue now?

Pact is said to not been approved by parliament

But wait, 

Why did 🇮🇳 give it away without parliament approval?

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Thanks for Reading..

By 

Pocketliterature.