Ahead of Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Katchatheevu row takes centre stage in Tamil Nadu

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The subject of Katchatheevu island, which India gave to Sri Lanka in 1974, is still causing turmoil in Tamil Nadu politics. Late Chief Ministers M Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa held different opinions on the Katchatheevu row, with Jayalalithaa even promising to recover the island to alleviate fishermen's fears.

The island was handed over to Sri Lanka by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as part of a deal to establish maritime boundaries in the Palk Straits. This decision also prohibited fishermen from both countries from fishing in one other's exclusive economic zones, a PTI report stated.

The report added that with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacking the Congress and its ally, the DMK, which were in power at the time of the pact, the Katchatheevu issue has taken centre stage in Tamil Nadu ahead of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 which will begin on April 19.

DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin slammed Modi's remarks, questioning the BJP's sudden focus on fishermen's difficulties before of the polls. He also expressed concern over the delay in giving disaster help to the state, the report added.

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Katchatheevu row in the centre of political debate

According to the PTI report, political groups and fishermen's unions in Tamil Nadu have long called for Katchatheevu's return to India, claiming that Indian fishermen have historic fishing rights in the area. The regular arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy exacerbate tensions.

Jayalalithaa personally petitioned for the island's restoration, and the AIADMK administration eventually intervened. Meanwhile, PM Modi has accused the Congress and the DMK of ignoring Tamil Nadu's interests and attacking the 'family politics'.

PM Modi, per the report, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Rhetoric aside, DMK has done NOTHING to safeguard Tamil Nadu's interests. New details emerging on #Katchatheevu have UNMASKED the DMK's double standards. The Congress and DMK are family units and they only care that their 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."

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also stepped into the Katchatheevu row, blaming previous prime ministers for being indifferent to the issue. Karunanidhi responded by claiming that as Chief Minister, he opposed the decision but had limited success in contesting it, the PTI report further stated.

According to the report, the Katchatheevu row has been a source of contention between the DMK and AIADMK for many years, with both parties accusing the other of passivity or mishandling the situation.

Katchatheevu row: Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa spar

The historical issue over Katchatheevu island had provoked a fight between previous Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa.

During his stint as CM, per the PTI report, Karunanidhi wrote to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, claiming that the island had historically belonged to Ramnad's zamindari. He expressed deep regret over the government's decision to cede the islet in the Palk Strait in 1974 and called for a reassessment of the decision.

In contrast, Jayalalithaa accused Karunanidhi of passivity on the problem, comparing his party, the DMK, to the cartoon Rip Van Winkle for "sleeping" on it for 20 years. She zealously pursued the issue, even pushing Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in 1994 for a resolution.

Jayalalithaa proposed several possibilities, including leasing the island and nearby seas in perpetuity to settle the long-running issue between Tamil Nadu fishermen and Sri Lanka. She met with Prime Minister Modi in 2016 to solicit support for the island's retrieval.

Karunanidhi, on the other hand, maintained his opposition to the surrendering of Katchatheevu and conveyed unhappiness to Indira Gandhi over the Indo-Lankan deal. He claimed to have continually expressed concern and never agreed to cede the island.