In a statement which could have major political ramifications, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa declared on Tuesday that Tamil Nadu does not recognise the International Maritime Boundary line (IMBl) between India and Sri lanka.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said India’s handing over of Katchatheevu islet to Sri lankan in 1976 was unconstitutional and she has challenged the act in the Supreme Court. Jayalalithaa described the Sri lankan waters as the traditional fishing waters of Tamil Nadu fishermen.
According to Jayalalithaa, the Sri lankan Navy attack Tamil Nadu fishermen when they fish in their traditional waters of the Palk Bay. Interestingly, her letter comes within hours of the announcement by Subramanian Swamy, chairman, Committee for Strategic Action, a BJP think tank, that India’s Sri lanka policy might be delinked from Tamil Nadu factor and be guided principally by national factor.
Jayalalithaa declined the offer by the Ministry of Home Affairs to install buoys in the IMBl. This offer was made in the Inter-Ministerial meeting on the India-Sri lanka Fishermen’s issue held at New Delhi on June 17, 2014. She pointed out that the Government of Tamil Nadu was a party to a suit filed by her in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of ceding Katchatheevu to Sri lanka under the 1976 agreement.
“The matter is still pending in the Supreme Court and will have a bearing on the location of the IMBl. The Government of Tamil Nadu has not accepted the IMBl as a settled issue. Given that the issue is sub judice, it would neither be appropriate nor feasible to install buoys along the IMBl at ," Jayalalithaa said in her letter.
She requested the Prime Minister to grant Rs 1520 crore to Tamil Nadu under the the Comprehensive Special Package for Diversification of Fisheries and a recurring grant of Rs.10 crores per annum for maintenance dredging. Jayalalithaa also solicited an additional Rs 100 crore for introducing sustainable fishing practices to strengthen the livelihood of the fishermen in the State.
Meanwhile, addressing policy makers, high ranking Sri lankan military and civilian officials and intelligentsia at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies in Colombo on Monday, Dr Swamy said though the Union Government would consult the States on foreign policy issues, the final decision will be taken by the Centre on broader national interests. He pointed out that Sri lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was invited to the swearing in of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in spite of stiff opposition from Tamil Nadu politicians. He also said that the 2014 lok sabha election results from Tamil Nadu showed that the Sri lankan ethnic Tamil issue is not at all an issue in the State.
Dr Swamy's statement comes at a time when Vaiko, the MDMK leader and Dr Ramdos, the PMK founder has intensified their demand to the Modi government for taking punitive action against the Rajapaksa regime.