Areas
of conflict between India and Sri Lanka
1. Katchatheevu Island Issue
Katchatheevu is a small, uninhabited island in the
Palk Strait that separates India from Sri Lanka. This small, politically very
strategic island has been a bone of contention between the two nations since
almost the middle of the 20th century. The island possesses a richly historical
and cultural bearing, being a prime factor in the geostrategic and diplomatic
negotiations over maritime demarcation and rights of fishing. For its
governance and the impact on local fishing communities, the island has made rounds
in discourses on Indo-Sri Lankan relations.
India ceded the island to Sri Lanka under the Indo-Sri
Lankan Agreements, in 1974 and 1976. These agreements clearly provided for the
transfer of the sovereignty of this island to Sri Lanka but permitted visits by
Indian fishermen there for drying their nets and for pilgrimage purposes
without a visa. Over the years, however, there have been many cases of arrests
and confrontations, with Indian fishermen allegedly making a hue and cry that
strict vigilance by the Sri Lankan Navy leads to the violation of their
traditional fishing rights. The issue has, therefore, taken a humanitarian
angle, affecting the livelihoods of the fishermen in Tamil Nadu.
2. Maritime Disputes
The maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka,
particularly in the Palk Strait, has been a long-standing contentious issue.
Allegations of illegal fishing, destructive fishing practices, and frequent
arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy have fueled diplomatic
tensions between the two nations. Indian fishermen with their trawlers often in
search of fishes stray into Sri Lankan waters due to engine failures or sudden
weather changes.
The destruction of fishing vessels, continued boat confiscation after fishermen's release, and heavy fines by Sri Lankan authorities remain recurring issues between both nations. The Palk bay is equally divided between India and Sri Lanka by the IMBL (the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), but fishing rights remain contested. Overfishing on the Indian side of the IMBL forces Indian fishermen into Sri Lankan waters, which Sri Lanka views as “poaching,” posing security risks and threatening local livelihoods. Sri Lanka alleges that Indian trawlers intrude regularly in a coordinated manner and fears Tamil militant groups may re-emerge using fishing vessels.
Another maritime issue exists in the form of
Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project undertaken by India to link Palk Bay with
the Gulf of Mannar through a shipping canal. Apart from cutting short distances
for Indian ships navigating between eastern and western coasts of India, the
Canal is expected to further the underdeveloped coastal regions of Tamil Nadu.
Environmentalists, however, feel all these come with a huge cost to the rich
marine resources in the area. Sri Lanka has reservations on this venture as
well, but chose to remain silent fearing strains in bilateral relations. Aside
from environmental and livelihood concerns of its fishermen, Sri Lanka is more
concerned about the loss of container traffic at its Colombo and Galle ports. Interestingly,
the LTTE is also opposed to the project. Its naval activities might be hindered
as and when the Canal becomes operational. It is also for this reason
(vis-Ã -vis to counter the LTTE) that the government of Sri Lanka did not
vehemently oppose the Canal project.
3. Tamil Ethnic Issues
The native people of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) were colonially under the British. In 1815, the population composition of Sri Lanka was 3 million Sinhalese Buddhists and 300,000 Tamil Hindus. From the 1830s onwards, the British started transporting indentured labour from India, especially from Tamil Nadu, to Ceylon to work on tea plantations. The Tamils who the British transported settled in the northern part of Ceylon.
Sinhalese is the predominant community. They consist of 3/4th of the Sri Lankan population. They speak Sinhalese and follow Buddhism. Tamils in Sri Lanka are predominantly Hindus. The Muslims, mainly of Tamil origin, speak both Tamil and Sinhala. Tamils were in the minority, but Britishers favoured Tamils over Sinhalese in all opportunities. Tamils were preferentially appointed to bureaucratic positions, which angered the Sinhalese majority.
When Britishers went back Sinhalese majority started to capture all property and posts from Tamils. The Tamil language lost the status of official language under the provisions of the Sinhalese Only Act. Ceylon Citizenship Act was passed, making it virtually impossible for Indian Tamils to obtain citizenship. Over 700,000 Tamils (consisting of up to 11% of the country’s total population) were made stateless overnight. After that, the state back pogrom of Tamils started in which Tamils were massacred & their property was looted. In retaliation, Tamils started a civil war under the leadership of LTTE headed by Prabhakaran.
The majority population, Sinhalese, supresses the ethnic Tamils after the defeat of the LTTE in 2009. Riots against minority Muslim groups rose due to increasing Islamophobia in Sri-Lankan society. Such riots are led by Sinhala majoritarian groups such as the Bodu Bala Sena. To deal with the situation, various agreements were signed like Nehru – Kotelawala Agreement, 1953, Shastri – Sirimavo Agreement, 1964 and Rajiv – Jayewardene Agreement (Indo-Sri Lanka Accord), 1987 But the agreement was vehemently opposed by both Tamil & Sinhalese extremists.
Hundreds of troops were killed in clashes with Tamils.
Operations of Indian Peace Keeping Forces changed ethnic violence into civil
war, which Sri Lanka was forced to continue even when Indian forces left in
1990. It led to many political killings of both Indian and Sri Lankan leaders
like Rajiv Gandhi (in 1991) and Premadasa (in 1993). The year 2009 was
important for Sri Lanka. The thirty-year[1]old
ethnic armed conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) came to an end.
While the conflict is over, many Tamils remain displaced, and issues surrounding their rehabilitation and reintegration continue to be addressed. India continues to play a role in the region, offering humanitarian assistance and supporting negotiations between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil National Alliance.
5. Chinese
Influence
The activities of the Chinese in the neighbouring country are a concern to national security and called for intensified vigil along the coastline. The movement of PLA (People's Liberation Army) cadres and deployment of hi-tech gadgets such as satellites, drones, and other communication equipment in northern Sri Lanka required constant surveillance in coastal districts, the advisory sent to all cities/districts in the State said. Citing sources, the alert claimed that the PLA deployed sophisticated gadgets in the garb of launching sea cucumber farming. The free movement of Chinese nationals in many parts of northern Sri Lanka, including Mullaitheevu, Paruthitheevu, Analaitheevu, Meesalai and Chavakkacheri, had triggered discontentment among Tamil fishermen.
The Yuan Wang 5 of China is designed to track satellites, rocket launches, and other space activities. It also has the ability to gather data on intercontinental missiles. The ship's visits to Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka have raised concerns from India and the United States, who have suggested it might be used to gather intelligence on Indian military assets. Sri Lanka has stated that the ship's visit is for replenishment purposes. The Yuan Wang 5 has docked at Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, sparking diplomatic concerns from India and the US. This port was given to China by Sri Lanka on a 99-year lease after Sri Lanka failed to repay Chinese loans. It is seen as a case of Chinese "debt trap" Diplomacy.
Recently, China's presence in Sri Lanka has increased on a large scale. Sri Lanka has decided to establish a Special Economic Zone around the Colombo port city and a new economic commission, to be funded by China. The Colombo port handles 60% of India’s trans-shipment cargo. Leasing of Hambantota and the Colombo Port City project makes it almost certain for the Chinese navy to have a permanent presence in the Indian Ocean which will be worrisome for India’s national security. This Chinese strategy to encircle India is referred to as the Strings of Pearls Strategy.
6. Cross Border Smuggling Concerns
The Indian Coast Guard and Sri Lanka Navy struggle to differentiate between genuine fishers and smugglers making IMBL vulnerable to smuggling. In 2016-17, the DRI Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) India had effected seizures of gold in seven cases, weighing a total of 54 kilograms and valued at about Rs 16 crore, smuggled from Sri Lanka into India through the sea route using country boats and cleared after landing on the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu. In 2017-18, 80 kilograms of gold smuggled in a similar manner and valued at about Rs 24 crore, have been seized by the DRI in eight cases. The coastal route is also used by drug traffickers. In January 2017, after extensive surveillance, Indian Customs officers seized six kilograms of heroin from a boat near Tuticorin. Apart from gold and narcotics, wildlife such as exotic turtles of central and north-east Indian origin and various marine species, are also being smuggled between the two countries by sea.
In 2025, India and Sri Lanka have decided to regularly exchange information to check smuggling between the two countries. They have resolved to strengthen cooperation in preventing the smuggling of gold, drugs, fake Indian currency notes (FICN), wildlife, and other contraband across the India-Sri Lanka route, and to address trade-related issues such as country of origin frauds that impact the revenue of both the countries.
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