With the Lok Sabha elections coming up, the BJP has been trying to make strong inroads into Tamil Nadu and the ruling DMK has been accusing the BJP of not protecting Tamil Nadu’s interests. The BJP, in turn, is attacking the Congress and the DMK for “giving away” the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka.
At the heart of the matter is the sovereignty over the tiny island of Katchatheevu, strategically located in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka. The Katchatheevu issue, a longstanding territorial dispute, continues to stir tensions and debates, impacting diplomatic relations and the livelihoods of Tamil Nadu fishermen. The island has gained prominence today because of China’s increasing power and presence in the region and its hold on Sri Lanka. The DMK, and the late J. Jayalalithaa when she was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, have been vociferous that Katchatheevu treaty be renegotiated.
WHAT IS THE KATCHATHEEVU ISSUE?
Katchatheevu, a barren island off Sri Lanka covering approximately 285 acres, has been a bone of contention since the early 20th century when British colonial rulers transferred it to the administration of the Madras Presidency (Tamil Nadu). From 1875 to 1948, the ownership of Katchatheevu island was under the Raja of Ramnad (Madras Presidency) and the southern state benefited from the island in terms of fishing and other resources.
After its independence in 1948, Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) started to stake its claim over Katchatheevu and asked the Indian Navy not to conduct any exercises on the island without its permission. In October 1955, the Sri Lankan Navy conducted its first exercise there and mounted pressure on India. Though the attorney general of India, M.C. Setalvad, and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) joint secretary (law and treaties) K. Krishna Rao stated that India’s case was stronger than Sri Lanka’s, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (in 1961) said he wouldn’t mind giving up the island to Sri Lanka as he deemed it “inconsequential”.
With mounting pressure from the Opposition in India and PM Indira Gandhi’s desire to create good bilateral relations with Sri Lanka, the issue was brought to the forefront. In 1974, amidst growing Indo-Sri Lankan relations, the two countries signed an agreement, the Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement known as the Katchatheevu Treaty, ceding the island to Sri Lanka, thus sparking a controversy that continues till today.
At the time of signing the agreement with Sri Lanka in 1974, Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India and DMK leader Kalaignar Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. According to official Government of India documents, Indira Gandhi’s decision to relinquish India’s claim to the island was conveyed to TN CM Karunanidhi by the foreign secretary at the time. The 1974 agreement not only transferred the island but also established a maritime boundary, affecting fishing rights in the region. The fishing rights of Indian fishermen were given up in 1976 though it was assured in Parliament that the fishing rights of Indian fishermen had been safeguarded in the 1974 agreement.
Today, critics argue that the treaty lacked proper consultation with the fishermen communities, and its legality under international law has been questioned. While the Indian government recognizes Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over Katchatheevu, it has been periodically asserting its claim to the island’s fishing rights, citing historical usage and traditional fishing grounds. This duality has led to frequent confrontations between fishermen from both nations.
DMK STAND ON KATCHATHEEVU
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has historically taken a strong stance on the Katchatheevu issue, reflecting the sentiments of the Tamil Nadu populace, particularly the fishermen community. The DMK has consistently advocated for the retrieval of Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka’s control, emphasizing the historical and traditional fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen in the region.
DMK leader M.K. Stalin and other senior leaders argue that the island was conceded to Sri Lanka without proper consultation with the concerned stakeholders, particularly the fishermen community. They have raised concerns about the adverse impact of the agreement on the livelihoods of Tamil Nadu fishermen due to restrictions on fishing in the vicinity of Katchatheevu. In 2023, Stalin had written to PM Modi to discuss the retrieval of the island with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe when he was on a visit to India. In recent years, there have been increasing incidents of Tamil Nadu fishermen, who stray into the territory, being caught by Sri Lanka authorities and thrown into prison and being tortured. Securing their release has been a major issue for the Tamil Nadu government.
GOI STAND ON THE ISSUE
On 31 March, PM Modi slammed the Congress and the DMK for giving away the island to Sri Lanka in 1974 when Indira Gandhi was PM. He posted on X (formerly Twitter) on 1 April, “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. Congress and DMK are family units. They only care that their own sons and daughters rise. They don’t care for anyone else. Their callousness on Katchatheevu has harmed the interests of our poor fishermen and fisherwomen in particular.”
This statement follows Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai’s RTI application seeking the Government of India documents on the Katchetheevu. The documents gave insights into the discussions between the TN CM Karunanidhi and the foreign secretary and the others in 1974, and also reportedly showed that he had given his nod to Indira Gandhi’s decision. It is reported that Karunanidhi didn’t fight the decision but had asked if the signing of the agreement could be put off by two years but was informed by the foreign secretary that “internal” and “external constraints” would not allow this. The CM was told that Sri Lanka had documents that supported its claim while the State of Madras had failed to show that the Raja of Ramnad had the original title to the island. The Tamil Nadu CM was worried about the backlash from the people of the state over conceding the island but apparently stated that he would ensure that any agitation would be kept within limits.
Once he got the documents from the RTI, Annamalai took on the Congress and DMK and said, “Both these parties chose to align with Sri Lankan interests, handed over Katchatheevu on a silver platter, and put at risk the lives and livelihood of our Tamil fishermen. DMK and Congress are answerable for the loss of innumerable lives of our Tamil fishermen.”
At a 1 April press conference, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said, “In the last 20 years, 6,184 Indian fishermen have been detained by Sri Lanka and 1,175 Indian fishing vessels have been seized, detained, or apprehended by Sri Lanka. This is the background to the issue we are discussing. It is an issue that has been very much debated in Parliament and in Tamil Nadu circles. It has been the subject of correspondence between the Union government and state government. The DMK questions handing over Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka, claims Tamil Nadu government was not consulted; fact is it was kept fully informed.”