News Analysis India

Tag: India-Sri Lanka

  • ‘They Simply Did Not Care…’: S Jaishankar Blasts Congress, DMK Over Katchatheevu |

    New Delhi: An island located in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka has emerged as a contentious topic in Indian political discourse. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the issue on Monday and criticized the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for their stance, suggesting they are treating the matter irresponsibly.  

    “Now, every political party in Tamil Nadu has taken a position on this. Two parties, the Congress and the DMK, have approached this matter as though they have no responsibility for it. As though the situation is for today’s central government to resolve, there is no history to this, this has just happened, they are the people who are taking up the cause; that is the way they would like to project it,” stated the External Affairs Minister during a press briefing.  

    The EAM said that over the past two decades, Sri Lanka has detained 6184 Indian fishermen and seized, detained, or apprehended 1175 Indian fishing vessels…Over the last five years, the matters concerning Katchatheevu and the Fisherman’s issue have been consistently brought up in Parliament through questions, debates, and discussions within the consultative committee, he added.  

    “The then CM of Tamil Nadu has written to me numerous times. And my record shows that to the current CM, I have replied 21 times on this issue…It is an issue which has been very much debated in parliament and in the Tamil Nadu circles. It has been the subject of correspondence between the union government and the state government,” said Jaishankar indicating that this issue is not new. It has been ongoing and actively discussed both in Parliament and among Tamil Nadu circles, he said.  

    Jaishankar further slammed the then government of not caring much about the issue. He said, ” We are talking about 1958 and 1960… The main people in the case wanted to make sure that at least we should get the fishing rights… The island was given away in 1974 and the fishing rights were given away in 1976… One, the most basic recurring (aspect) is the indifference shown by the then central government and the PMs about the territory of India…” he added.  

    Historically, the island situated between Rameswaram (India) and Sri Lanka has been utilised by fishermen from both countries. In 1974, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi recognized Katchatheevu as Sri Lankan territory through the “Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement.” The 1974 Agreement concerning historic waters in the Palk Strait and the Palk Bay between Sri Lanka and India officially affirmed Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over the island. 

  • India, Sri Lanka to conduct 12-day military drill with focus on counter-terror cooperation 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India and Sri Lanka will carry out a 12-day mega military exercise from Monday with a focus on enhancing counter-terror cooperation.

    The eighth edition of the ‘Mitra Shakti’ exercise will be conducted at Combat Training School in Sri Lanka’s Ampara from October 4 to 15, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

    “The aim of the exercise is to promote close relations between armies of both countries and enhance inter-operability and sharing best practices in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations,” it said.

    The ministry said an all arms contingent of 120 personnel of the Indian Army will participate in the exercise along with a battalion-strength contingent of the Sri Lankan Army.

    “The exercise will involve tactical level operations at sub-unit level in an international counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism environment,” it said in a statement.

    The ministry said that the exercise will go a long way in further strengthening the relationship between both the South Asian nations and will act as a catalyst in bringing synergy and cooperation at the grassroot level between both armies.

    Sri Lanka was rocked by a series of deadly bomb blasts in April 2019 in which over 300 people were killed.

    In the backdrop of the blasts, India and Sri Lanka enhanced their anti-terror cooperation.

    The seventh edition of the Mitra Shakti exercise was conducted at Foreign Training Node (FTN) in Pune in 2019.

  • MEA for talks with Sri Lanka to address fishermen issue 

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  A day after lodging a strong protest with the acting Sri Lankan high commissioner over the death of three Indian fishermen, New Delhi on Friday said the matter has been on the agenda of discussions between the two sides for a long time, and there is a realisation at the highest level that it is a humanitarian issue, which has to be handled in a humanitarian manner.

    “Both the countries have agreed that it is a humanitarian issue and should be dealt with accordingly,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said. Three fishermen from Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu had been reported missing on January 19. They were out fishing in a mechanised boat along with many other vessels from the same area.

    The Sri Lankan Navy initially said an Indian boat, with four fishermen on board, sank when patrol vessels sought to apprehend it with other fishing boats that were allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters. “Our strong protest in regard to the incident was conveyed by our high commissioner to the Sri Lankan foreign minister (on Thursday). A strong demarche was also made to the Sri Lankan acting high commissioner in New Delhi,” the MEA said in a  statement. 

  • S Jaishankar’s three-day Sri Lanka visit from today, likely to meet President, PM

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will begin his three-day Sri Lanka visit from Tuesday where he will interact with the island nation’s top leadership and review bilateral ties between the two countries.“At the invitation of the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Hon’ble Dinesh Gunawardena, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Sri Lanka from 5-7 January 2021. He will hold discussions with his counterpart and Sri Lanka’s leadership on the entire gamut of bilateral relations. This will be the first foreign visit by EAM in 2021, and also, the first by a foreign dignitary to Sri Lanka in the New Year,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, adding that “it signifies the priority both countries attach to strengthening their close and cordial relations in all spheres of mutual interest”.

    Jaishankar’s previous visit to Sri Lanka had come November last year immediately after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa assumed office. The visit was seen as an attempt to reset the bilateral ties. President Rajapaksa had also visited India in his first foreign trip after assuming charge.

    During this trip, Jaishankar is likely to meet the Sri Lankan president, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena.Sources said the foreign minister may also discuss the fishermen’s issue. The visit is also close on the heels of the December 30 virtual meeting of the joint working group on fisheries where talks were held on the arrest of 36 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu and seizure of their vessels allegedly on charges of poaching.