Amidst renewed attention on the age-old dispute over territorial and fishing rights concerning Katchatheevu Island, the BJP’s accusation against the Congress of conceding it to Sri Lanka was dismissed by Rajya Sabha MP P. Chidambaram on Monday as an “absurd allegation.”
Chidambaram, speaking to ANI, refuted the ruling party’s claims, arguing that the sufferings of over 600,000 Tamils in Sri Lanka prompted then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to acknowledge the island’s belonging to the neighboring country.
“It’s an absurd allegation. This agreement was arrived at in 1974 and 1976. PM Modi is referring to a recent RTI reply; he should refer to the RTI reply of January 27, 2015, when I believe EAM S Jaishankar was foreign secretary. That reply clearly says that after negotiations, the island lay on the Sri Lankan side of the international border. Why did Indira Gandhi acknowledge that it belonged to Sri Lanka? Because 600,000 Tamils were suffering in Sri Lanka, they had to come to India as refugees. As a result of this settlement, 600,000 Tamils came to India and they are enjoying freedom with all the Human rights here,” Chidambaram stated.
He further suggested that the BJP’s timing of raising the issue just days before the general elections would work in favor of the INDIA alliance. “It will have an impact in INDIA alliance favor. BJP will get zero seats in Kerala, and zero in Tamil Nadu. In Telangana and Karnataka, the Congress will have a far better number than the BJP,” he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, criticized the DMK over the Katchatheevu island issue, accusing the ruling party of Tamil Nadu of neglecting the state’s interests.
Jaishankar, doubling down on PM Modi’s accusation, stated that Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, had contemplated giving away the island to Sri Lanka. At a press conference, he mentioned Nehru’s assertion in May 1961, characterizing the island as insignificant and expressing a willingness to relinquish India’s claim to it.
The island, situated between Rameswaram (India) and Sri Lanka, has been traditionally used by fishermen from both countries. In 1974, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi accepted Katchatheevu as Sri Lankan territory under the “Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime agreement.” The agreement formally confirmed Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over the Island.