TN Assembly passes unanimous resolution urging Centre to retrieve Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka

Chennai, April 2 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Union government to take immediate steps to retrieve the Katchatheevu Island from Sri Lanka.

The island, located in the Palk Bay, has long been a source of contention due to the ongoing plight of Tamil Nadu fishermen who face repeated arrests and harassment by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who moved the resolution in the Assembly, said: "The retrieval of Katchatheevu is the only permanent solution to protect the traditional fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen and to end their suffering at the hands of the Sri Lankan Navy."

The resolution comes just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Sri Lanka and calls on the Centre to review the Indo-Sri Lankan Agreement of 1974, under which Katchatheevu was ceded to Sri Lanka. It also urges the Prime Minister to engage with the Sri Lankan government during his visit to secure the release of all imprisoned Indian fishermen and their boats on humanitarian grounds.

Highlighting the continuing troubles faced by fishermen, Stalin said that attacks and arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy persist despite changes in the political leadership of Sri Lanka.

"The Union government seems to forget that these are Indian citizens - Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu. Before the 2014 Parliamentary elections, Narendra Modi had assured that not a single fisherman would be arrested if the BJP came to power. Yet, the arrests continue."

Stalin revealed that in 2024 alone, 530 Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, with many handed lengthy prison sentences or heavy fines for allegedly crossing maritime boundaries.

"It is deeply troubling that the Sri Lankan authorities treat our fishermen with such cruelty, depriving them of their livelihood. This is condemnable. The Union government must intervene and act decisively," he said.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that he had written 74 letters to both the Prime Minister and the Union External Affairs Minister on the issue. Despite ongoing efforts to establish dialogue between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen, no meaningful progress has been achieved.

"The actions of the Sri Lankan Navy have pushed our fishermen into a dire situation. Their traditional fishing rights are under threat, and their families live in constant fear. How long can we tolerate this? Retrieving Katchatheevu is the only lasting solution," Stalin said.

He also criticised political parties and the Union government for spreading misinformation that the then Tamil Nadu government had willingly handed over Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.

"It is unfortunate that even the Union government has echoed this for political gain," he said.

The DMK government, Stalin said, has consistently pursued efforts to reclaim Katchatheevu and safeguard the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen. This included numerous communications to the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister over the years. He also acknowledged that during the tenures of former Chief Ministers J. Jayalalithaa and O. Panneerselvam, similar resolutions were passed - in October 1991, May 2013, and December 2014 -demanding the retrieval of the island.

Stalin recalled his request to the Prime Minister during his first visit to Tamil Nadu after he assumed office as Chief Minister, urging concrete steps to reclaim Katchatheevu. He accused the BJP-led Union government of failing to take any meaningful action to address the long-standing issue.

--IANS

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