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Posted by admin on 2024-04-01 |

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·         The Katchatheevu Island, a contested area in the Palk Strait, was transferred to Sri Lanka by the Congress government under the leadership of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, as per an agreement in 1974.

 

·         Fifty years later, the BJP, led by PM Modi, has mounted an attack on the Congress and DMK for ‘callously’ giving it away to Sri Lanka.

 

·         Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram defended the decision to hand over Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka, stating that the agreement was reached through lengthy negotiations in 1974 and 1976.

The political row over the Katchatheevu issue intensified on Monday as external affairs minister S Jaishankar hosting a press conference and asserting that the longstanding territorial and fishing rights disagreement surrounding the island did not arise suddenly and has frequently been discussed in Parliament.

At the press conference, Jaishankar said prime ministers such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi referred to Katchatheevu, which was given to Sri Lanka in 1974 as part of a maritime boundary agreement, as a "little island" and “little rock,” underscoring that the matter has always been active.

PM Modi's Criticism and Resurfacing of the Issue

S Jaishankar's statement comes shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the DMK over the Katchatheevu Island issue, alleging the ruling party of Tamil Nadu did nothing to safeguard the state's interests.

“Rhetoric aside, DMK has done nothing to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests. New details emerging on Katchatheevu have unmasked the DMK’s double standards totally," PM Modi said in a post on X.

The issue has resurfaced after a media report based on an RTI reply to a query filed by Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai. The reply reveals the former Prime Minister, the late Indira Gandhi, had ceded the island to Sri Lanka in 1974.

Background: Katchatheevu Island Dispute

Katchatheevu Island, spanning 285 acres, lies approximately 33 kilometers from the Indian coast in the Palk Strait between Rameswaram in India and Sri Lanka Fishermen from both countries used the Katchatheevu Island, which was initially part of the Madras Presidency. Katchatheevu had been a disputed territory between India and Sri Lanka since the British era. Disputes over fishing rights around the island emerged post-Independence.

The Congress government under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi agreed to transfer it to Sri Lanka under the 1974 “Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement,” resulting in Katchatheevu becoming part of Sri Lanka.

While the island held little strategic significance at the time, its geopolitical importance grew over the last decade due to China's increasing influence over Sri Lanka, making it strategically significant for India.

Political Response and Defense

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the timing of the Prime Minister's remarks, stating that Katchatheevu Island was given to Sri Lanka as part of a friendly agreement in 1974. He also recalled a similar "friendly gesture" towards Bangladesh undertaken by the Modi government concerning the exchange of border enclaves.

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram defended the decision to cede Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka, stating that the agreement was reached in 1974 and 1976 after extensive negotiations. "PM Modi is referring to a recent RTI reply, he should refer to the RTI reply of January 27, 2015, when I believe EAM S Jaishankar was foreign secretary. That reply clearly says that after negotiations, the island lay on the Srilankan side of the international border.

Senior DMK leader RS Bharathi echoed Kharge’s sentiments, saying the PM had "no achievements" to present and was resorting to "lies." Bharathi questioned why PM Modi didn't address the Katchatheevu issue during his ten years in office if he was genuinely concerned about it.