Dissanayake: India says Katchatheevu is Sri Lanka's — SkimNews
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- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a rally on October 11, 2026 in the North Western Province that India has acknowledged before its Supreme Court that Katchatheevu Island belongs to Sri Lanka, calling ties 'good' and reiterating that Sri Lanka will never allow its airspace, land, or sea to be used against India
- India's Attorney General R. Venkataramani told the Supreme Court last week that India has 'excellent relations' with Sri Lanka and does not intend to reopen the 1974 and 1976 Katchatheevu agreements
- The bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva scheduled the case's next hearing for February 2027, with Justice Kumar noting New Delhi and Tamil Nadu must 'sensitise' fishermen against crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line
- Sri Lanka's Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar welcomed the AG's remarks and the court's observation on sensitising Tamil Nadu's fishermen
- Tamil Nadu fishermen routinely cross the IMBL into waters near Katchatheevu using destructive bottom-trawling methods, leading to repeated arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy
Why it matters: India's Attorney General told the Supreme Court it has 'excellent relations' with Sri Lanka and does not intend to reopen the 1974 and 1976 Katchatheevu agreements, with the next hearing set for February 2027. Justice Kumar directed New Delhi and Tamil Nadu to 'sensitise' fishermen against crossing the IMBL — leaving arrests by Sri Lanka's Navy as the recurring operational flashpoint.
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