DEMARCATE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE

DEMARCATE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE:

REGAIN KACTCHATIVU ISLANDS

Dravida Peravai sent a Memorandum to the Union Minister of External Affairs Mr.Jaswant Singh on 31.07.2000. Personally memorandum was given to the Union Defense Minister George Fernandes. The memorandum in booklet form containing English and Hindi versions was given, mailed, sent to almost all Members of Parliament in India. The memorandum in verbatim is given below;

Subject: Plea to uphold Indian interests in Exclusive Economic Zone of the Oceans and urgent need to place our claims to demarcate our zone before United Nations Organizations in accordance with the International Law of Seas 1982 regarding...

In a long drawn process through four conventions covering high seas, territorial seas, continental shelf and living marine resources which began in 1958, United Nations Organization had strived to evolve consensus which ended in U.N.O mooting out International Law of Seas 1982. It was ratified by India in 1995.

This Law is a boon to Indian maritime trade, Indian seafood exports, Indian mid-sea oil exploration and more particularly to our Indian fishermen and it is rather unfortunate that Indian Government is making inordinate delays in presenting its case before U.N.O. Though time is still left till 2005, in the interests of boosting Indian economy without wasting a single minute, it is essential; Dravida Peravai urges our government to stake our claim for demarcating our Exclusive Economic Zone.

As per article76 of the International Law of Seas 1982 " The coastal state shall establish the outer edge of the continental margin wherever the same extends beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. On the submarine ridges, the continental shelf's outer limit shall not exceed 350 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the sea is measured."

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS PROVISION INDIA IS LIKELY TO GAIN 7 to 9 LAKH SQUARE KILOMETERS. It will not be out of context to invoke the comments of Late Ram Manohar Lohia and our beloved Comrade George Fernandes on the loss of more than 1 lakh square kilometers to our neighbours. This loss can be made good if timely steps are taken to press for our rightful boundaries under the Exclusive Economic Zone.

As a party of the Dravidian Movement we are interested in the revoking of the treaty granting our Katcha Theevu islands to Srilanka. If the NEW EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE COMES INTO OPERATION INDIA AND SRILANKA HAVE TO FRESHLY DEMARCATE THEIR ZONES. And by natural application of Article 76 of the International Law of Seas India will have to regain Katcha Theevu.This will also put an end to indiscriminate killing of our Indian fishermen.

(Then the Parliamentary debate of 1974 was quoted verbatim)

We have reproduced the debate with the sole purpose to help the present Government and Parliamentarians gain insight about the views of Thiru.Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Katcha Theevu.

The External Affairs Minister of the day had agreed that bartering away of Katcha Theevu is inter linked to the demarcation of our maritime boundary. Now that the time has come in view of the necessity to redraw our maritime boundary Dravida Peravai urges the Union Government

1. To reopen the deplorable agreement signed bypassing the Indian Parliament and without consulting the Tamil Nadu Government. An agreement that intensified the plight of Indian fishermen who fall a prey to the bullets of Srilankan navy in view of the ambiguity prevalent in its definition of our territorial waters.

2. The so called rights of Indian fishermen were never honoured and the Government of India must place a white paper in Indian Parliament on the merciless shootings and killings of fishermen by Srilankan side violating this agreement.

3. The new boundaries as per International Law of Seas 1982 must be redrawn and India should take care to get back Vaalideep, i.e.Katcha Theevu as called by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as an island where legendary Rama and Vaali fought.

4. Without wasting time Indian Government must stake its claim before United Nations for demarcating our territorial waters.

This was distributed, mailed, sent to all Members of Parliament with the help of the personal staff of Comrade George Fernandes." 

Kathiravan"Tamil daily reported 

 Dravida Kazhagam General Secretary Dr.K.Veeramani visited Dravida Peravai party office on 18.11.2000 in connection with a meeting of his party. To him Katcha Theevu issue was brought to notice. He in a hand written note had said that Dravida Kazhagam had filed a Writ Petition at High Court of Madras.