The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution urging the Indian government to retrieve Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka. The resolution had unanimous support from all parties present.
Speaker Appavu announced the resolution, showing that all parties agreed on the issue.
Chief Minister MK Stalin addressed the Assembly and responded to criticism from Leader of Opposition Edappadi Palaniswami.
Stalin dismissed the opposition’s allegations, saying, “We can talk about this resolution now, please don’t talk about and create old politics today.” He questioned AIADMK’s stance on the issue, asking, “For the past 10 years when your (AIADMK) government was in power, what were you doing? Did you talk about this Katchatheevu issue?”
The chief minister also raised concerns about Tamil Nadu fishermen being arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy. “Fishermen come under attack, and boats are seized. Union Minister for External Affairs Jaishankar has said in March that 97 fishermen are still in prison. In 2024 alone, more than 500 fishermen were arrested, which translates to two arrests per day,” he said.
Stalin called on the Union Government to take action. “Union Government should stop this and create a permanent solution. On behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, I have written 74 letters addressing PM Narendra Modi and EAM. Every time I meet the PM, I raise the issue. Retrieving Katchatheevu is the only solution,” he added.
What is the Katchatheevu Row?
Katchatheevu is a small island in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka. It was given to Sri Lanka in 1974 under an agreement between the two countries. The issue remains controversial because Tamil Nadu fishermen often get arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy when they fish near the island. Many political parties in Tamil Nadu demand that the island be taken back to protect the rights of local fishermen.
Opposition criticises DMK
Leader of Opposition Edappadi Palaniswami criticised the ruling DMK party for its handling of the Katchatheevu issue. He reminded the Assembly that Katchatheevu was once part of Ramanathapuram Samasthanam until 1948 and was handed over to Sri Lanka in 1974 when the Congress was in power at the Centre and the DMK ruled Tamil Nadu.
Palaniswami said, “Our fishermen are in danger.” He mentioned that former CM J Jayalalithaa took legal action by filing a case in the Supreme Court in 2008 and passed a resolution in 2009 for retrieving the island, but the issue remained unresolved.
He pointed out a Supreme Court ruling that “without the approval of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, no land can be given to any country,” and stated that the matter is still pending in court.
The AIADMK leader questioned the DMK’s role in the central government, asking, “When DMK was in power in the central government for 16 years, why was this matter not raised? Why didn’t they take any steps to retrieve Katchatheevu?”
He accused the DMK of using the issue for political gain. “Today they (DMK) have taken this resolution because they want to play electoral politics. Just one year left for the TN Assembly Election 2026, so they have taken this issue into their hands,” he claimed. “DMK is doing drama by taking this issue in their hands ahead of the elections.”
The resolution has now been passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, and the demand for Katchatheevu’s retrieval has been officially placed before the Union Government.
Source: Business Standard
--Agencies
