Over the past few days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the longstanding and sensitive issue of Katchatheevu, a small island whose sovereignty remains contested between India and Sri Lanka. This dispute, along with other recurring conflicts such as the Cauvery water dispute, Mullaperiyar Dam controversy, and Palar river issues, tends to resurface annually in public discourse before gradually fading away.
Minister Jaishankar traced the origins of the Katchatheevu matter back to the early 1970s. Correspondences from that era reveal that the then Indian Foreign Secretary Kewal Singh engaged in discussions with Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and other officials in 1973 and 1974. The central Government, including then Union External Affairs Minister Swaran Singh, kept the Tamil Nadu administration informed as part of ongoing diplomatic negotiations with Sri Lanka.
Despite this, Karunanidhi publicly opposed the transfer of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka, arguing that the island was handed over without the Tamil Nadu Government’s proper consent. He called for protests and convened an all-party meeting that included opposition leaders, communist parties, and other political groups — though the ADMK, which had split from the DMK at the time, walked out in protest.
Historically, the issue predates this period. During Jawaharlal Nehru’s tenure, parliamentary leaders raised concerns over Katchatheevu, but Nehru dismissed it as a minor land matter. In the 1960s, legal experts advised the central Government against ceding the island. Under Lal Bahadur Shastri’s administration, a committee including Tamil Nadu’s minister Pudukkottai Ramaiah was sent to Colombo to negotiate. Nonetheless, despite opposition, the island was officially ceded in 1974 during Indira Gandhi’s tenure without parliamentary approval, based solely on diplomatic exchanges between India and Sri Lanka.This agreement, widely condemned by various members of Parliament — including leaders from the DMK and Atal Bihari Vajpayee — occurred amid broader geopolitical shifts in the Indian Ocean region. These included increased U.S. military presence in Diego Garcia and Sri Lanka’s development plans for Trincomalee Port.
In exchange for Katchatheevu, India received the Wadge Bank, a 6,500 square kilometer barren sandbank within its Exclusive Economic Zone near Kanyakumari. A 1976 agreement formalised fishing rights and boundaries in the Gulf of Mannar, restricting Sri Lankan boats from fishing in Wadge Bank after a transitional period. However, this sandbank proved to be of little economic value to India, while the rich fishing grounds surrounding Katchatheevu became inaccessible to Indian fishermen.
Since the transfer, Tamil Nadu’s fishing community has faced severe hardships. Reports document over 115 attacks by the Sri Lankan Navy on Tamil Nadu fishermen, resulting in more than 300 deaths and numerous boats seized or destroyed. Fishermen are often arrested or fired upon for crossing into
disputed waters despite relying on these grounds for their livelihoods. Multiple political resolutions and legal challenges in Tamil Nadu have sought to reclaim the island. Notably, a unanimous 1991 Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution affirmed the fishermen’s historic rights in the region.
The ongoing distress faced by Tamil Nadu fishermen is compounded by intensified harassment from the Sri Lankan Navy, which reportedly attacks fishermen by cutting their nets, seizing motorboats, and even sinking vessels. These incidents have been repeatedly reported to the central Government. Between 1983 and 1991 alone, the Sri Lankan Navy reportedly carried out 236 attacks, destroying or damaging 51 boats, injuring over 135 fishermen, killing more than 50, and arresting 205.
Historically, Katchatheevu belonged to the Sethupathi kings of Ramanathapuram, who leased it to traders for harvesting medicinal herbs. The island, located in the Palk Strait near Pamban Island, was part of the Ramanathapuram kingdom and was integrated into India after the Zamindari Abolition Act of 1947. The British also used the island for naval purposes. In 1955, the Indian Parliament opposed Sri Lanka’s plan to use Katchatheevu for naval training.
While national leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi showed limited interest in contesting this transfer, Tamil Nadu politicians, including Vaiko and former Chief Ministers Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi, have repeatedly raised the issue and pursued legal action to reclaim the island. Historical documents and maps affirm Katchatheevu’s Indian ownership, a position even acknowledged by some Sri Lankan officials referencing the Ramanathapuram Samasthanam. The dispute is not merely territorial but also touches on matters of national dignity and security. Katchatheevu’s strategic location offers advantages for security against foreign dominance, naval training, communication systems, and marine research. The unresolved status of the island threatens India’s sovereignty and the livelihood of Tamil Nadu’s coastal communities.
Given these stakes, the Tamil Nadu Assembly has demanded that the central Government intensify diplomatic and legal efforts to reclaim Katchatheevu. Some voices have even called for military options, if necessary, to protect India’s geopolitical interests and the welfare of its fishermen.
(The writer is a political activist. Views expressed are personal)