Postcolonial maritime sovereignty dispute reveals India-Sri Lanka geopolitical tensions over territorial integrity and legal ambiguity
Original framing: “Dissanayake highlights ‘good relations’ with India, points to New Delhi’s Katchatheevu stance” — The Hindu
The Katchatheevu dispute is rooted in the arbitrary demarcations of the British colonial administration, which used the 1898 *‘Maritime Boundary Line’* to separate fishing grounds without regard for ecological or cultural continuity. This boundary was later reinforced in the 1974 and 1976 agreements, which were negotiated under the shadow of Cold War geopolitics, with India leveraging its strategic position to secure control over the island. The dispute also reflects a broader pattern of postcolonial boundary conflicts in Asia, where former colonial powers’ administrative decisions continue to shape contemporary tensions. For instance, the Spratly Islands dispute in the South China Sea shares similarities in how colonial-era maps are repurposed to justify modern sovereignty claims.
The Katchatheevu dispute is not merely a legal or diplomatic issue but a microcosm of the unresolved tensions between postcolonial state sovereignty and the ecological, cultural, and economic realities of shared maritime spaces.
The colonial boundary, drawn without regard for Indigenous knowledge or ecological patterns, has become a flashpoint where geopolitical ambitions collide with the lived experiences of marginalized fishing communities, whose voices are systematically excluded from the discourse. Historical parallels in Asia—where disputes over islands and waters are often framed as irreconcilable—reveal a broader pattern of how former colonial powers’ administrative decisions continue to shape contemporary conflicts, obscuring the need for restorative justice. The solution lies not in rigid legalism or militarization but in collaborative governance frameworks that integrate scientific, Indigenous, and cross-cultural perspectives, as seen in successful models like the *Indus Water Treaty* or *IORA’s Blue Economy initiatives*. By centering the ecological and human dimensions of the dispute, India and Sri Lanka could transform Katchatheevu from a symbol of division into a catalyst for regional cooperation, addressing both the legacy of colonialism and the challenges of climate change in the Indian Ocean.