Prime Minister Slams Congress for “callously” handing over a crucial island to Sri Lanka
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 31st March. The Congress was accused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “weakening” the nation’s integrity and interests when it decided to give the strategically important island of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in the 1970s.
After a Right To Information (RTI) report disclosed how the Congress administration, led by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, gave the island of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in 1974, PM Modi responded.
PM Modi said that the Congress “can never be trusted” and that the move “angered” the people, describing the RTI report as “eye-opening and startling.”
“Starting and eye-opening! Recent information shows how Congress heartlessly gave Katchatheevu away. This has infuriated every Indian and reinforced the belief among the populace that we can never trust Congress! For seventy-five years and counting, the Congress has worked to weaken India’s unity, integrity, and interests, “PM Modi wrote on X, citing a media report.
Since there are few fish in Indian waters, fishermen from Tamil Nadu who live in districts like Rameshwaram go to Katchatheevu island. The fishermen attempt to enter the island by crossing the International Maritime Border Line (IMBL), but the Sri Lankan Navy intercepts them and holds them.
What is Sayed in the RTI on the Katchatheevu issue?
The report is based on an RTI response that K Annamalai, the president of the Tamil Nadu BJP, received regarding the 1974 decision of the then-Indira Gandhi government to cede the territory across the Palk Strait to Pakistan.
The decision to turn over Katchatheevu was communicated to M Karunanidhi, the then chief minister of Tamil Nadu, in June 1974 by then foreign secretary Kewal Singh.
Singh had brought up the Raja of Ramnad (Ramanathapuram) and his zamindari rights, as well as Sri Lanka’s inability to provide proof of Katchatheevu’s ownership.
The foreign secretary quoted “records” indicating the important island was a part of the kingdom of Jaffnapatnam, including Dutch and British maps, and stated that Sri Lanka had a “very determined position” on Katchatheevu.
He continued by saying that since 1925, Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon in that pre-independence era, has been asserting its sovereignty over Katchatheevu without encountering opposition from India. Referencing a 1970 second opinion, he stated that Katchatheevu “was and is with Sri Lanka and not India.” Attorney MC Setalvad made this statement.
The British East India Company granted the Ramnad Raja the zamindari rights to preserve Katchatheevu and its fisheries. After zamindari rights were abolished, this was retained by the State of Madras and continued until 1948. The Raja of Ramnad was exempt from paying taxes to Sri Lanka and was nevertheless free to exercise his zamindari rights.
However, on May 10, 1961, Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister, wrote off the island dispute as “inconsequential.” This occurred in the context of the Indian Navy’s inability to exercise on Katchatheevu without the approval of the Ceylon Air Force.
According to the RTI, K Krishna Rao, joint secretary (law and treaties) of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), argued that India had a strong legal case that could be used to secure fishing rights on the island.
Because of the geopolitical ramifications and concerns about sovereignty, the handover of Katchatheevu has been a major talking point during Tamil Nadu’s Lok Sabha elections.
Fishermen who depend on the waters surrounding Katchatheevu for their livelihoods, both domestically and internationally, have been impacted by the decision. Over the last few years, the Sri Lankan Navy has frequently detained Indian fishermen, the majority of whom are from Tamil Nadu.
BJP reacts on the issue
The Indian fishermen who were apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities, according to BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, were detained and faced legal action. He attacked the Congress and the DMK for keeping the matter under wraps.
Regarding Katchatheevu, let me remind everyone in the country that it was a part of India until 1974 and is located in Tamil Nadu, just 25 kilometers from the coast. Indian fishermen used to visit there in the past, but under Indira Gandhi’s administration, the government gave it to Sri Lanka,” he stated at a press conference.
https://x.com/ANI/status/1774301644559389055?s=20
“In that agreement, it was also said that no Indian fisherman could go there. Due to this, many fishermen have been caught and lodged in jail and faced atrocities. Neither the DMK nor the Congress have raised the issue,” he added.
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