On Friday, July 4, 2025, Sri Lanka, a neighboring country of India, made a significant statement regarding the Kachchatheevu island. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath clarified that his country has no intention of relinquishing the Kachchatheevu island.
Sri Lanka on Kachchatheevu Island: Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath has raised concerns in India by making an important statement on Friday. Reiterating Sri Lanka's claim over the Kachchatheevu island, he made it clear that Sri Lanka would not agree to give up this island at any cost. In an interview with Sirasa TV, Herath said, "Our right over Kachchatheevu is unshakeable. Diplomatic channels are open to resolve this, but Sri Lanka will never be ready to give up this island."
This statement comes at a time when Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently linked the Kachchatheevu issue to an agreement made during the 1975 Emergency.
What is the Kachchatheevu dispute?
Kachchatheevu is a small, uninhabited island located between Tamil Nadu in India and the Jaffna coast of Sri Lanka. Historically, Tamil fishermen have been visiting the island for religious worship and fishing. In an agreement between India and Sri Lanka in 1974, India ceded the rights to Kachchatheevu island to Sri Lanka, but fishermen were allowed to use the island for worship and the use of water resources.
Tamil Nadu fishermen and several political parties have been opposing this agreement and have been demanding its annulment. There has also been continuous political rhetoric on this issue between the BJP and the Congress.
Sri Lanka's response to the arrest of Indian fishermen
Regarding the arrest of Indian fishermen, Foreign Minister Herath said that Indian fishermen often enter Sri Lankan territorial waters and fish illegally there. He alleged that Indian fishermen also damage marine resources and marine plants. Herath said, "We know that the Indian government is also against illegal fishing. But intrusion into our waters will not be tolerated."
It is noteworthy that fishermen from Tamil Nadu sometimes unknowingly cross the international maritime boundary, due to which the Sri Lankan Navy arrests them. This has led to tensions between the two countries from time to time.
India's perspective: The 1975 agreement has become a cause of complexity
On June 27, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had said in Parliament that in 1975, during the Emergency, India had agreed to hand over Kachchatheevu in a unilateral decision, which limited the rights of Indian fishermen. He said that the government is continuously talking to Sri Lanka on this issue so that the difficulties of the fishermen can be reduced.
The issue of Kachchatheevu is also heated up in Tamil Nadu politics. Many parties there allege that the 1974 agreement ignored the interests of the state's fishermen.
Politics versus Diplomacy
In his statement, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath also said that the debate over Kachchatheevu appears to be more of a political issue between the BJP and the Congress within India. He said, "For us, this is a diplomatic issue, but it has become a political issue in India." Herath's statement indicates that Sri Lanka is wary of India's domestic political pressure and is not in the mood to make any concessions at the moment.
Sri Lanka's stance could pose difficulties for India. On the one hand, the concerns of the fishermen of Tamil Nadu are continuously coming to the fore, and on the other hand, Sri Lanka is not ready to back down from its claim. In such a situation, India may face a major challenge at the diplomatic level.
