Chennai:
The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to retrieve Katchatheevu islet, ceded to Sri Lanka, as a permanent solution to protect the traditional fishing rights of the state’s fishermen.
Moving the resolution, Chief Minister M K Stalin said that it has become a habit for some political parties to spread a false information campaign that it was the state government that ceded Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. “Even the Union government is making the same mistake. This is regrettable and unacceptable,” he said.
As far as Katchatheevu was concerned, then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi strongly opposed ceding it and even the DMK MPs, then, objected.
A day after the Katchatheevu Agreement was signed on June 28, 1974, Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) convened an all-party meeting and passed a resolution condemning it. On the same day, he wrote a letter to then Prime Minister expressing “deep disappointment over the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement,” Stalin said.
Also, he pointed out that former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa passed Assembly resolutions on October 3, 1991, and on May 3, 2013, and O Panneerselvam, too, passed a resolution during his tenure on May 5, 2014, calling for steps to retrieve Katchatheevu.
After becoming chief minister in 2021, he not only prevailed upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get back the island but also wrote letters on numerous occasions to ensure a lasting solution to the fishermen’s problems.
Stalin said on an average two fishermen were being arrested daily by the Sri Lankan navy if one went by the statistics presented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on March 27 in the Rajya Sabha that 97 Indian fishermen were in Lankan prison.
“Last year alone, about 530 fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lanka Navy,” the chief minister added.
A policy note on Fisheries department tabled in the Assembly said from 2021 to 2025 (upto March 27, 2025), 1,383 fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy.
“Due to the decisive efforts taken by this government, 1,287 fishermen have been released and repatriated. Continuous efforts are being taken by the Tamil Nadu government to release and repatriate the remaining 96 fishermen and 229 fishing boats that are in the custody of Sri Lankan government,” it said.
The resolution, piloted by CM Stalin, was passed after an intense debate in the Assembly.
Stating that there was no deviation from the BJP’s stand on Katchatheevu since former Prime Minister A B Jajpayee’s times, BJP member Vanathi Srinivasan said her party supported the resolution but sought to know why the DMK missed the opportunity to get back the island when it shared power with the Congress-led UPA government for ten years. She also claimed that then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was aware of the developments.
At this, Leader of the House Duraimurugan said Karunanidhi staunchly opposed ceding the islet.
Law Minister S Reghupaty said “Kalaignar was neither consulted by the Centre on the issue nor did he give his consent.” Congress leader K Selvaperunthagai claimed that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s contribution was being concealed.
“Though only 285 acres of Katchatheevu was ceded to Lanka, she got 4,600 sq km of Wedge Bank to India,” he said and backed the government resolution.
Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, criticised the DMK for doing precious little on the subject despite being in power for a decade in the UPA regime.
“Our leader J Jayalalithaa passed the Assembly resolutions and even approached the Supreme Court on the issue,” he said.
At this, the chief minister replied, “I had acknowledged her role. But what did you do when your party was in power for ten years in the state? This is a serious issue concerning the welfare of our fishermen. I request you to confine your views to the resolution and extend support as the BJP member had done, and refrain from politics.” Following this, Palaniswami said, “Katchatheevu is an emotional issue and as this resolution seeks to retrieve it and restore our (fishing) rights, we support the resolution.” The resolution said the “retrieval of Katchatheevu island is the only permanent solution to protect the traditional fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen and to mitigate the sufferings faced by them due to the Sri Lankan Navy.” “Considering the above, this august House unanimously urges the Union Government to immediately review the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement and take all steps to retrieve Katchatheevu island; and urges the Honourable Prime Minister of India, to hold talks with the Sri Lankan Government to get all our imprisoned fishermen released along with their boats on a goodwill basis, during his official visit to Sri Lanka,” it further said.
Katchatheevu was ceded by India to Sri Lanka by way of agreements in 1974 and 1976.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
