Barren Island or Strategic Asset? Sri Lanka Still Has a Katchatheevu Question

COLOMBO (News 1st); Has Sri Lanka neglected Katchatheevu for too long, or would efforts to develop the island risk reopening a sensitive issue with India?

That question was at the heart of discussions at the Pathfinder Foundation's "Ambassador's Roundtable" in Colombo, where diplomats, strategic analysts and former military commanders examined the future of the island and its role in the broader Palk Bay region.

Opening the discussion, Pathfinder Foundation Chairman Bernard Goonetilleke argued that despite Sri Lanka exercising sovereignty over Katchatheevu for more than half a century, very little attention has been paid to the island beyond an annual religious festival and a naval presence.

"We have neglected the place," Goonetilleke observed, noting that the island lacks even basic accommodation and sanitary facilities despite its strategic location.

He stressed that Sri Lanka's understanding of developments in the surrounding waters remains limited, particularly regarding fishing activity, marine resources, environmental degradation and water quality.

"We generally say that a certain tonnage of fish and shrimp is being removed from the bay. We say bottom trawling is destroying the seabed, juvenile fish, fish eggs and coral. But we don't have the facts. We don't have the data," he said.

Goonetilleke called for greater scientific study of the Sri Lankan side of Palk Bay, expressing hope that institutions including the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), universities and independent scholars would contribute to gathering data on the health and future of the marine ecosystem.

Responding to questions about whether research initiatives on Katchatheevu could trigger concerns from India, former Navy Commander Admiral (Prof.) Jayanath Colombage argued that scientific activity would not necessarily attract objections.

"I think if we want to have a research station, nobody can say anything. But the only thing is we must not antagonise India on this issue," he said.

Colombage noted that successive Indian governments have consistently upheld the 1974 and 1976 maritime agreements that settled the maritime boundary between the two countries.

According to him, recent legal developments in India have also reinforced that position, with India's Supreme Court declining to reopen questions regarding ownership of Katchatheevu.

"The central government in India has always stood by the 1974 agreement," Colombage said, adding that the issue tends to gain political prominence in Tamil Nadu during election periods and in the context of fisheries disputes.

He maintained that Indian fishermen crossing into Sri Lankan waters cannot be viewed as accidental incidents, noting that arrests generally occur well within Sri Lankan waters and not near the International Maritime Boundary Line.

"Katchatheevu is not the issue, but it is made an issue in Tamil Nadu, especially during election time," he said.

However, a more cautious perspective was offered by Ravinatha Aryasinha, Executive Director of the Regional Center for Strategic Studies, who warned that establishing major facilities on the island could create unnecessary geopolitical complications.

Aryasinha argued that while the fisheries dispute presents an opportunity for practical cooperation under a new political environment, efforts to transform Katchatheevu into a research hub could raise questions about funding sources and external involvement.

"If you start a centre there, then the question will be who is funding it," he said.

Aryasinha cautioned that involvement by external actors other than India could be perceived as contrary to Indian strategic interests, potentially complicating an issue that has largely remained settled.

"Sometimes barren islands must be left as barren islands," he remarked, noting that the existing church and naval presence already serve their intended purposes.

He warned that attempts to do too much on Katchatheevu could risk reopening a matter that has largely reached a conclusion.