TMC activists holding a demonstration in front of the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai on Wednesday to protest against the alleged killing of Tamil fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy.

CHENNAI, July 31: The Madras High Court has rejected a plea from Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) general secretary K Veeramani for a direction to the Union government to deploy armed forces, to ensure the safety and fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen fishing around Katchatheevu.

Justice Jayasimhababu, who rejected the plea on Tuesday however, ordered notice to the respondents on Veeramani's main plea to declare Katchatheevu as an integral part of India.

In his public interest writ petition, seeking necessary steps to safeguard the fishermen of Tamil Nadu from being killed and injured and boats and nets being damaged by Sri Lankan armed forces, the DK leader submitted that because of the continuous apathy shown by the Government of India, killings were taking place almost every day. No effective step was taken, either by the State or the Central Government to prevent the killings he alleged.

He also mentioned the Katchatheevu island situated between Rameswaram and the northern part of Sri Lanka on the Gulf of Mannar as being an integral part of India. It had been under the control of Ramanathapuram, a princely state. It was never part of the islands belonging to Sri Lanka. Forgetting the unassailable historical background, the Union Government took a hasty decision to part with the sovereign authority over the island in July 1974.

The fishing, voyage and visiting rights were surrendered to Sri Lanka by means of certain treaties, which had no legal sanction. The Tamil Nadu government had passed several resolutions in the Assembly urging the Centre that the island should be restored to India.

He asked for a declaration that Katchatheevu was an integral part of India.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.