Kachchatheevu

Kachchatheevu கச்சத்தீவு කච්චතීවු
—  Island  —
Kachchatheevu
Coordinates: 9°23′0″N 79°31′0″E
Country	Sri Lanka-(1974-present) India-(before 1974 disputed)
Province	Northern
District	Jaffna
DS Division	Delft

Kachcha-thiva or Katchatheevu or Kachchativu (Tamil: கச்சத்தீவு, Sinhala: කච්චතීවු) is a controversial uninhabited island administered by Sri Lanka. This island is given to Sri Lanka by India in 1974 on a conditional basis. It has a Catholic shrine and has been declared as a sacred area by the government of Sri Lanka.

Geography

285-acre (1.15 km²) island is situated on the Sri Lankan side of the maritime boundary.

History

Ownership of the island was controversial up until 1974 as during British Rule this island was administered by both countries. It was ceded to Sri Lanka by India from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in 1974. The legality of the transfer is challenged in the India supreme court since the ceding was not ratified by the Indian parliament.This transfer of an island that is culturally important to fishermen of Tamil Nadu state in India has led to some agitations by Tamil Nadu politicians that it should be returned to Indian sovereignty. The island is also important for fishing grounds used by fishers from both the countries. Under the treaty agreement of 1974, Indian fishermen do not have rights to fishing around the island as it is within the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. Indian fishermen were only allowed to dry their nets and use Church for religious observance. With the 1976 agreement where delimitation of International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) was agreed upon as required by the UNCLOS, Indian fishermen do not have any right to even engage in drying of nets and use of Church in Kachchativu as 1976 agreement supersedes 1974 agreement. But as part of the Sri Lankan civil war, this arrangement has led to many difficulties with the Sri Lankan Navy that is deployed to prevent smuggling of weapons by the rebel group LTTE. The island has a Catholic shrine that attracts devotees from both the countries. On 2009, Tamil Nadu Government declared that the area is controlled by the Sri Lanka against the original pact of allowing Indian fishermen to access the water of Sri Lanka. This tensions and the atrocious killings of Tamil fishermen by Srilakan forces created a diaspora in and across India and the governments of both the countries held conversation and 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 continue 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 to the court under the 1974 and 1976 agreements without the approval of two Houses of Parliament.

St.Anthony's Catholic Shrine

Kachchatheevu Catholic Shrine is one of a kind which shares the borders of both countries India and Srilanka, and declared holy place by srilankan island[1].

There stands the only religious structure, St.Antony's Catholic Shrine which holds 100+ year old traditions, and was built by an Indian Catholic. No one was required to possess Indian passport or Sri Lankan visa for visiting Kachchatheevu .

The church festival runs for 3 days. The priests from both India and Srilanka conduct the mass and car procession. As many as 35 country boats and 106 mechanized boats ferried the pilgrims, mostly from Rameswaram, there is not a drop of drinking water on the island and the only structure is a decrepit church named after St. Antony, patron-saint of seafarers, to whom the feast is dedicated. It was put up by a prosperous fisherman in the early 20th century. But there is no shelter, no food, and nothing to sight-see, except the choppy blue waters of the Palk Straits all round

See also

• Extreme points of Sri Lanka

References

^ http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl1915/19150681.jpg

   ^ http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/article2959441.ece
   ^ http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=46702