Katchatheevu Handover Debate Reignites in Tamil Nadu Assembly as TVK, DMK Trade Accusations

The long-simmering dispute over Katchatheevu, a small uninhabited island in the Palk Strait, resurfaced dramatically in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday. Ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Ministers accused the former DMK government, led by the late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, of failing to prevent the Centre from handing over the island to Sri Lanka in 1974.

Katchatheevu, spanning approximately 285 acres, lies between the Tamil Nadu coast and northern Sri Lanka. The island has deep historical and emotional significance for Tamil Nadu fishermen, who have frequently faced arrests and vessel seizures by the Sri Lankan Navy. During the debate on the demands for grants for the Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare departments, Ramanathapuram MLA Katharbatcha Muthuramalingam (DMK) highlighted the continuing ordeals of these fishermen, especially after Sri Lanka enacted a law permitting the confiscation of fishing vessels.

Minister for Water Resources N. Anand intervened, stating that it was the DMK that had handed over Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. His remarks drew immediate objections from DMK members, who demanded a clarification.

DMK Whip E.V. Velu responded that Katchatheevu was transferred based on a decision taken by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He said that the then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had opposed the move, adding that the party had repeatedly raised the issue and passed Assembly resolutions seeking the island's retrieval.

Minister for Energy Resources and Law C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar questioned the DMK's claim, asking what the Tamil Nadu government of that time had done despite the Union government's decision. He drew a parallel to the Berubari Union transfer attempt in the 1950s, when West Bengal Chief Minister B.C. Roy contested the move in the Supreme Court and won in 1960.

Mr. Kumar further alleged that Foreign Secretary Kewal Singh had discussed the Katchatheevu matter with M. Karunanidhi twice. He cited Karunanidhi's own admission to the media about these discussions, asserting that the island was given away with his consent. The Minister also claimed that Kewal Singh had 'threatened' Karunanidhi with legal cases, forcing him to accept the decision.

These statements triggered a strong response from Mr. Velu, who accused Mr. Kumar of presenting 'incorrect' information. He reiterated that Katchatheevu was handed over by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi without the State government's consent.

The debate also featured comments from AIADMK MLA Thalavai Sundaram, who recalled that in 2008, the late AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa had moved the Supreme Court on the Katchatheevu issue, making both the Union and State governments parties. He noted that the State government failed to file a counter-affidavit until 2011, while the Union government submitted one stating that Katchatheevu belonged to Sri Lanka. At the time, a Congress-DMK alliance was in power at the Centre, he said, alleging that the DMK had acted in a 'partial manner'.

Congress floor leader Tharahai Cuthbert offered a different perspective, noting that while the Congress-led Centre had given 285 acres of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka, it had secured 25 lakh acres of the resource-rich Wadge Bank in the same agreement. She questioned why this aspect was not being discussed in the Assembly.

The divergent accounts from political rivals underscore the complexity of the Katchatheevu issue, which remains a recurrent point of contention in Tamil Nadu politics. While the Union government maintains that the island was ceded to Sri Lanka through a bilateral agreement, opposition parties in the State have consistently demanded its retrieval, citing the hardships faced by local fishermen. The Assembly's heated exchange on Wednesday reflects the enduring political significance of the issue, even as no immediate legal or diplomatic resolution appears imminent.