50 years of Katchatheevu Island row
Exactly fifty years ago, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi signed a pact ceding Katchatheevu, an islet off Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, to Sri Lanka. This decision, made in conjunction with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, has since been criticized as a significant blunder, particularly by Tamil Nadu fishermen who lost their traditional fishing rights. The agreement, which aimed at settling maritime boundaries, has led to ongoing disputes, with fishermen frequently arrested or even shot dead for allegedly crossing international maritime borders.
The controversial decision has been a longstanding grievance among Tamils, and despite attempts by the DMK to distance itself from the agreement, historical records remain clear. Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai recently brought the issue back into the spotlight ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Citing documents obtained through an RTI query, Annamalai claimed to expose the DMK’s alleged misrepresentations regarding the pact.
In a report by The Hindu in April, A. Natarajan, a retired Indian Foreign Service official and former Consul General of India in Jaffna, stated, “Katchatheevu was ceded to Sri Lanka almost 50 years ago and the Indian government cannot disregard its agreement made then. An agreement is an agreement. We have to respect agreements. Countries can be ruled by different political parties, but it does not mean you disregard agreements made by one government.”
Unconfirmed reports have occasionally surfaced, suggesting that India might reclaim Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka, especially given the latter’s ongoing economic crisis. However, Sri Lankan Minister Aku Sabray recently commented, “There is no controversy. They are having an international political debate about who is responsible. Other than that, no one is talking about claiming Katchatheevu.”
Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have both criticized the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu for allegedly spreading misinformation regarding the cession of Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka in 1974. Jaishankar condemned the verbal attacks on former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, attributing the current dispute to historical “mistakes.”
In a media interaction in Chennai, Sitharaman accused the DMK of making “irresponsible” statements and spreading a false campaign about the Katchatheevu issue. She asserted that the late M. Karunanidhi, who was the DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister at the time, was well aware of the Congress government’s decision to cede the islet but chose not to object.
“DMK in the past 50 years has been saying that former CM Karunanidhi had no idea or role about the cession of Katchatheevu. But it is a fact that he was informed about the decision well in advance by the external affairs secretary in 1974. Hiding the facts, his son CM Stalin has written 21 letters to PM Modi on Katchatheevu,” Sitharaman said.
She emphasized that documentary evidence exists to prove that Karunanidhi was briefed in detail about the decision but did not oppose it. “The DMK is spreading a false campaign that the islet had been ceded without their knowledge. We have documentary evidence to prove them wrong,” she said, calling on the DMK to explain why it has been disseminating misleading information on the Katchatheevu issue for the past five decades.
Data say annually, about 700 Indian fishermen used to be arrested. It has come down to 400 in 2015 and 300 in 2016 mainly because of negotiations and interactions with the Indian fishermen federations. Now it is almost nil and even if arrested they are freed when Indian side make request.
Annamalai has accused Congress governments at the centre led by Nehru and later Indira Gandhi, of giving up the island under pressure from Sri Lanka. Congress said PM Modi was spinning a “false narrative” to divert attention from his silence in the face of Chinese provocation.
50 years ago Kachchatheevu and the pact
Over twenty miles north of Dhanushkodi , lies the disputed territory of Katchatheevu (meaning ‘barren island’ in Tamil), a 285-acre uninhabited isle. it was caused by a 14th-century volcanic eruption. The island was ceded by the Indian administration under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Sri Lanka under the Sirimavo Bandaranaike administration in 1974 in an act of bilateral largesse, preceding the 1976 exchange of letters that divided the maritime boundary line in the Sethu Samudram littoral region between the two neighbours. Since then it has become bone of contention in Tamil Nadu during polls more particularly after the ethnic war in 1982 in Sri Lanka. As per the pact, Tamil fisher folks are allowed to visit the Anthoniyar church and to dry the fishing nets. It is under Sri Lankan navy control.
Katchatheevu was once part of the Ramnad Zamindari. The Ramanathapuram principality (or Ramnad) was established in 1605 by the Nayak dynasty of Madurai. It consisted of 69 coastal villages and 11 islets, including Katchatheevu. A copper plaque issued by Koothan Sethupathi, sovereign of Ramanathapuram between 1622 and 1635, proves the Indian ownership of the territory extending up to Thalaimannar in present-day Sri Lanka, including Katchatheevu, which was a source of regular revenue for the Sethupathi dynasty. In 1767, the Dutch East India Company signed an agreement with Muthuramalinga Sethupathi to lease the island, and, later, in 1822, the British East India Company leased the island from Ramaswami Sethupathi.
Tamil Nadu’s fishermen have frequently encountered conflicts with Sri Lankan authorities during their fishing expeditions around Katchatheevu. AIADMK supremo and CM Jayalalithaa, after accusing DMK leader Karunanidhi of agreeing to give the Katcha Theevu to Sri Lanka in return Congress govt. would drop the corruption cases against him. She filed a case in SC that is pending.
Annamalai obtained documents through RTI mode reveals that Sri Lanka making up for its lack of size with tenacolus pursuit of the 1.9 square kil metre of Kaccha Theevu 20 km from Indian shore. It also revealed that Indira Gandhi led Congress govt took a decision to give the Islets to Sri Lanka in 1974.
https://x.com/annamalai_k/status/1774331365749846249?s=20
As per the MEA documents cited by TOI in its report, it reveal internal deliberations regarding India’s stance on the issue, with officials expressing uncertainty about the legality of the situation. However, there were also indications of India’s strong legal case to secure fishing rights for its fishermen, who often face detainment by the Sri Lankan Navy. Despite these deliberations, the Congress government proceeded to relinquish India’s claim to the island in 1974. This decision was met with opposition criticism, particularly amid suspicions of a clandestine deal between Indira Gandhi and her Sri Lankan counterpart Dudley Senanayke during his 1968 visit.
TOI quoted the words of veteran parliamentarian Era Sezhiyan and DMK MP who said “ this agreement goes against the interests of the country since it amounts to pure surrender of our territory without going through any of the norms. This is an unholy and disgraceful act of statesmanship unworthy of any government. Therefore, we do not want to associate with ourselves with the statement of that is going to be made by the Hon. Minister and we want to disassociate ourselves by walking out of the House” . According to report Sezhiyan did not know the role of Karunanidhi , the party chief. Documents assessed from the MEA through RTI by Annamalai show that on June 19,1974 the then foreign secretary Kewal Singh, accompanied by director historical division, B K Basu called on Karunanidhi at the secretariat conference hall in what was then Madras to brief the latter of the deal and returned with his ‘ general acceptance’ of it. The meeting lasted for over an hour.
Pm Modi said in an election campaign When the country became independence, we had this island. But 4-5 decades ago, congress govt cut off a part of Mother India and separated it from India. It is extremely important from the perspective of of national security”.
In 1955, Ceylon –now Sri Lanka- Air Force held its exercise on Katcha Theevu. According to TOI which carried a series of articles on this, “ its stance was reflected in a minute by first PM Jawaharlal Nehru on May 10, 1951 who dismissed the issue as inconsequential”. He said “I would’ve no hesitation in giving up claims to the island…I attach no importance at all to this little island and I would have no hesitation in giving up our claims to it. I do not like this pending indefinitely and being raised again in Parliament,” TOI report quoted Nehru as saying.
Annamalai in April this year “ the then DMK failed to provide documents to show that the islet was under the control of Ramnad rulers when the Kachchatheevu agreement was under discussion. This eventually resulted in the pact going against the interests of TN fishermen.
Documents accessed by your magazine shows “ the agreement between Sri Lanka and India on the Boundary line Historic Waters between the two countries and related matters 26 and 28 June 1974; it has 8 articles ( clauses) ,
The last one says “This Agreement shall be subject to ratification. It shall enter into force on the date of exchange of the instruments of ratification which will take place as soon as possible” . interestingly the pact never got approval from the parliament. So some say it is not a valid legal document. It can be construed as a pact between two individuals ie the head of the states.
The SC verdict will only shed more light on this. Anyway we have crossed the 49 years and on the 50th year. Will history be rewritten and Modi regime take bold steps to retrieve it from Sri Lanka. This is the expectation of all in Tamil Nadu. If he does, it will be historical of reversing the illegal wrong committed to Congress leaders viz Nehru and his daughter Indira.
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