With the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu approaching, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strategically positioned the ceding of the Katchatheevu Islet to Sri Lanka as its primary electoral agenda. Targeting the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Congress, the BJP aims to capitalise on public sentiment regarding the controversial decisions made during their governance.
PM Modi and state BJP Chief Annamalai have been actively advocating this issue through social media and public meetings, shedding light on the alleged misconduct of the DMK and Congress in the matter.
Situated approximately twenty miles north of Dhanushkodi, the Katchatheevu Islet, spanning 285 acres, has been a subject of dispute since its cession by the Indian administration to Sri Lanka in 1974. The decision was made by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, as part of a bilateral agreement with the Sirimavo Bandaranaike administration in Sri Lanka. This move preceded the delineation of the maritime boundary line in the Sethu Samudram littoral region through an exchange of letters in 1976 between India and Sri Lanka.
Since its cession, Katchatheevu has remained a contentious issue in Tamil Nadu politics, particularly following the outbreak of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka in 1982. Under the terms of the agreement, Tamil fishermen are permitted to visit the Anthoniyar church located on the islet and dry their fishing nets. However, the islet remains under the control of the Sri Lankan navy, leading to ongoing tensions and grievances among the Tamil fishing community.
Originally part of the Ramnad Zamindari, the Katchatheevu Islet was under Indian ownership dating back to the Nayak dynasty of Madurai in the early 17th century. It was a significant source of revenue for the Sethupathi dynasty, as evidenced by a copper plaque issued by Koothan Sethupathi, the sovereign of Ramanathapuram between 1622 and 1635.
In subsequent years, the island saw various agreements and leases, including those with the Dutch East India Company and the British East India Company. However, ownership and sovereignty over Katchatheevu remained a subject of contention, particularly as Tamil Nadu’s fishermen faced conflicts with Sri Lankan authorities during their fishing activities in the region.
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa raised the issue prominently, accusing the DMK-led government of agreeing to cede Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in exchange for political favours. She filed a case in the Supreme Court, which is still pending, challenging the decision to cede the islet.
The legal opinion provided by Attorney General MC Setalvad in 1960 affirmed India’s sovereignty over Katchatheevu. However, India remained indecisive on the matter until formally renouncing its claim in 1974, under the leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Furthermore, documents obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) mode by Annamalai shed light on Sri Lanka’s persistent pursuit of Katchatheevu, despite its relatively small size. The documents revealed that the Congress-led government, under Indira Gandhi’s leadership, made the decision to cede the islet to Sri Lanka in 1974.
Congress & DMK colluded in the ceding of Katchatheevu by Sri Lanka.
The Congress, whenever in power, had the least interest in securing our country’s border, territorial integrity & sovereignty. pic.twitter.com/mryS2eGumE
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) March 31, 2024
According to documents accessed by TOI from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), internal deliberations within the Indian government revealed uncertainty about the legality of relinquishing India’s claim to Katchatheevu. Despite indications of a strong legal case to secure fishing rights for Indian fishermen, who often face detainment by the Sri Lankan Navy, the Congress government proceeded with the decision to cede the island.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated these revelations in Parliament in 2023, attributing the decision to the leadership of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. PM Modi criticised the Congress for its role in the matter, stating, “These people divided mother India into three parts for political reasons… Katchatheevu is an island situated between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Someone gave it to another country. It happened under Indira Gandhi’s leadership.”
In response, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin accused PM Modi of distorting history and reiterated the DMK’s opposition to the Katchatheevu handover during the Congress regime.
Further scrutiny of the documents revealed the involvement of Tamil Nadu’s then-Chief Minister, M Karunanidhi, in the deal. Foreign Secretary Kewal Singh, accompanied by the Director of the Historical Division, B K Basu, briefed Karunanidhi on the deal on June 19, 1974, at the Madras Secretariat conference hall. Karunanidhi expressed a “general acceptance” of the proposal during the meeting, indicating his inclination to accept the suggested solution.
However, veteran parliamentarian Era Sezhiyan, a DMK MP, vehemently opposed the agreement, denouncing it as a “pure surrender of our territory without going through any of the norms.” Sezhiyan expressed his party’s disassociation with the government’s decision, stating, “This is an unholy and disgraceful act of statesmanship unworthy of any government.”
Reacting to the TOI report, PM Modi described the revelations as “eye-opening and startling,” emphasising how the Congress’s actions had angered every Indian and reaffirming the lack of trust in the party. He criticised the Congress’s track record of “weakening India’s unity, integrity, and interest” over the past 75 years.
Eye opening and startling!
New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away #Katchatheevu.
This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in people’s minds- we can’t ever trust Congress!
Weakening India’s unity, integrity and interests has been Congress’ way of working for…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 31, 2024
In a fiery public address in Meerut on March 31st, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stirred controversy by accusing the Congress party of committing an “anti-national act” by ceding the strategically significant Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka several decades ago. Modi highlighted the plight of fishermen from Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh, who face arrests and punitive actions while fishing near the disputed island.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah echoed Modi’s sentiments, lambasting the Congress for allegedly undermining India’s unity and integrity. BJP President JP Nadda condemned the Congress’s purported tendency to relinquish Indian territory, branding it as part of the party’s “work culture.”
“I attach no importance at all to this little island and I would have no hesitation in giving up our claim on it,” said then PM Jawaharlal Nehru.
Read how the Nehru-Gandhi father-daughter duo ceded the strategic #Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka.https://t.co/44p9N6m1a2
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) March 31, 2024
Critics of the BJP, however, dismissed the controversy as a politically motivated ploy ahead of the upcoming elections, accusing the ruling party of using Katchatheevu as a divisive poll issue.
In response to Modi’s remarks, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin asserted that the people of Tamil Nadu were well aware of the historical context surrounding Katchatheevu. He emphasised that, despite opposition from the DMK government, the Congress had ceded the island to Sri Lanka through agreements in 1974 and 1976. Stalin questioned the Prime Minister’s assertion, asking whether a state government could unilaterally surrender a portion of the country to another nation.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Annamalai, speaking to the media in Tirupur, criticised the DMK for failing to provide evidence of the island’s historical ownership during negotiations over the Katchatheevu agreement. He argued that the Congress government’s decision to cede the island to Sri Lanka was detrimental to the strategic interests of India and the livelihoods of fishermen in Tamil Nadu. Annamalai pledged that the BJP would work towards reclaiming Katchatheevu entirely from Sri Lanka.
Notably, Annamalai’s frequent visits to Sri Lanka have sparked speculation about potential diplomatic initiatives between the two countries, particularly amidst Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic crisis.
