Former Sri Lankan Envoy Warns Against Indian Sea Boundary Crossing in Katchatheevu Issue: Potential Sovereignty Violation

Former Sri Lankan Envoy Warns Against Indian Sea Boundary Crossing in Katchatheevu Issue: Austin Fernando, former Sri Lankan envoy to India, said the BJP may have invoked a “vote-puller” in its attempts to reignite the Katchatheevu issue ahead of the general elections. However, the Indian government will have a hard time stepping back after the elections, which is a “problem”.

Wednesday, Fernando spoke by phone with The Indian Express from Colombo. As he recalled Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s statements on the Indian Peacekeeping Force in the late 1980s, if the Indian government crossed the Sri Lankan maritime international boundary line, it would be regarded as a “violation of Sri Lankan sovereignty”.

“If Pakistan proposes such sea encroachment near Goa, will India tolerate it? Or if Bangladesh does something like this in the Bay of Bengal, what will be India’s response?,” asked Fernando.

Narendra Modi has accused Indira Gandhi's government of giving Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka "callously" weeks before the Lok Sabha election.

Fernando said: “BJP does not have much of a hold in Tamil Nadu comparatively, so it has sparked off a vote-puller.”

"It seems that this is only rhetoric for the elections. After saying something like this, it is hard for the government to get out of it after the elections, since the BJP will win. It is an issue. We and they both need to consider this," he told The Indian Express.

To satisfy the Tamil Nadu voters, [External Affairs] Minister Jaishankar could say: "Well, let us have fishing rights in the Katchatheevu area." Another issue is whether it can be accomplished effectively. Who would be in charge of the situation?" Fernando, who was also Sri Lankan Defence Secretary, said, "Don't tell us it's the Indian Coast Guard."

“If the Sri Lankan government gives in, it will reduce a fair share of northern fishermen’s votes to the government,” Fernando said.

“If the Indian government crosses the Sri Lankan maritime international boundary line, then it will be seen as a violation of Sri Lankan sovereignty. Do not forget that that stance was taken by President Premadasa when the IPKF was here,” he noted.

Referring to the Indian presence in Sri Lanka, he said: “The Opposition here is critical of Indian investments and this will fuel more criticism, creating another difficult political environment.”

The Indian Express reported Tuesday that former Indian and Sri Lankan diplomats said the governments in the 1970s had agreed “in good faith,” where each side “won some” and “lost some”.

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