Politics aside, why Katchatheevu matters
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Politics aside, why Katchatheevu matters

India Today  

Katchatheevu means 'barren island' in Tamil. While the ‘Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Boundary Agreement of 1974' gave away the island to Sri Lanka, Indian fishermen were still allowed to access Katchatheevu. "The Indian Ministry of Defense must strengthen INS Parundu naval air base at Uchipuli and Thanjavur Air Force to thwart the growing Chinese presence near the Sri Lankan island of Katchatheevu and Northern Province of Sri Lanka," said a 2020 paper 'China's Rising Missile and Naval Capabilities in the Indo-Pacific Region' in the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs of the American Air and Space Forces. In a question in the Rajya Sabha, Vaiko asked if the "Government has registered any protest against windmill projects being given to a Chinese company by Sri Lanka on the strategic Katchatheevu, Palk Strait". "There is no information about windmill projects being given to a Chinese company by Sri Lanka on Katchatheevu Island," S Jaishankar replied.

China Tamil Nadu Sri Lanka Indian Fishermen External Affairs Tamil Chinese Island Lanka Sri Jaishankar Dmk Sri Lankan Lankan S Jaishankar Indian Fishermen Ins Jaffna Palk Strait St Antony Katchatheevu India  katchatheevu  india  politics  matters  fishermen  sri  chinese  tamil  lanka  island  indian  aside  lankan

History of this topic

Sri Lankan naval vessel collides with Indian fishing boat near Katchatheevu Island; 1 fisherman dead
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Sri Lankan naval vessel collides with Indian fishing boat near Katchatheevu Island; 1 fisherman dead

Hindustan Times  

A collision between a Sri Lankan naval vessel and an Indian fishing boat near Katchatheevu island left one fisherman dead and another missing, the ministry of external affairs said on Thursday. Representative Image: Indian fisherman killed, another missing in collision with Sri Lankan naval vessel near Katchatheevu island The collision occurred about 5 nautical miles north of Katchatheevu Island on …

Katchchatheevu issue: No tangible effort to retrieve Katchatheevu by 3 consecutive BJP governments, charges T.N. CM Stalin
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Katchchatheevu issue: No tangible effort to retrieve Katchatheevu by 3 consecutive BJP governments, charges T.N. CM Stalin

The Hindu  

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Mr. Stalin made these remarks in his letter to Union Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar, who had, in his communication, contended that the genesis of the Katchchatheevu issue went back to 1974 following an understanding between the then Union and the Tamil Nadu government then. Referring to the contentions made by Mr. Jaishankar in …

Katchatheevu, a view from Sri Lanka
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Katchatheevu, a view from Sri Lanka

New Indian Express  

As India’s economic influence continues to grow on Sri Lanka, shards of mistrust resurface, reflecting the contentious nature of India-Sri Lanka relations that had seen highs and lows from time to time. But the latest row, a spat over Katchatheevu, an uninhibited island lying between India and Sri Lanka, clearly had one more reason besides political expediency during election time. …

Katchatheevu island | Debate has always been marked by zamindari rights vs. sovereignty
8 months, 1 week ago

Katchatheevu island | Debate has always been marked by zamindari rights vs. sovereignty

The Hindu  

The link between the zamindari right of the Raja of Ramnad and sovereignty, or the absence of it, has all along marked the debate over the contentious Katchatheevu islet. Though the 1974 bilateral agreement between India and Sri Lanka settled the issue in favour of the latter, those who even now demand the “retrieval” of the islet cite the historical …

Why are Katchatheevu pacts being questioned? | Explained
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Why are Katchatheevu pacts being questioned? | Explained

The Hindu  

The story so far: On March 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on social media platform ‘X’ that he blamed the Congress for “callously” giving away Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka. Calling for a “solution”, he said the bilateral agreements signed by India and Sri Lanka in 1974 and 1976, when the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam were in …

Indian statements on 'reclaiming' Katchatheevu island have 'no ground', says Sri Lankan minister
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Indian statements on 'reclaiming' Katchatheevu island have 'no ground', says Sri Lankan minister

India TV News  

Colombo: On the Katchatheevu island issue that has become a hot topic in India ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda on Thursday said these statements on reclaiming the island ceded by New Delhi decades ago have "no ground". The Indian Prime Minister cited an RTI reply obtained by Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party chief …

Watch | The politics of Katchatheevu
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Watch | The politics of Katchatheevu

The Hindu  

Fifty years after India and Sri Lanka signed a bilateral agreement demarcating maritime boundaries from the Palk Strait to Adam’s Bridge, the ceding of Katchatheevu islet has become a hot political issue in Tamil Nadu. Katchatheevu, an uninhabited island, has become a point of debate in the country, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of callously ceding it …

Katchatheevu row: Sri Lanka rejects ‘need’ for talks, ex-envoy says ‘BJP invoked a vote-puller’ ahead of Lok Sabha polls
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Katchatheevu row: Sri Lanka rejects ‘need’ for talks, ex-envoy says ‘BJP invoked a vote-puller’ ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Live Mint  

Katchatheevu row: A former Sri Lankan envoy to India, Austin Fernando has accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of exploiting the Katchatheevu island issue as a "vote-puller" and cautioned that the Indian government could face issues if they were to backtrack after the Lok Sabha elections. The former Sri Lankan envoy to India said, “BJP does not have much of …

Letters to The Editor — April 4, 2024
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Letters to The Editor — April 4, 2024

The Hindu  

An old issue The Bharatiya Janata Party is trying hard to milk the Katchatheevu issue for all it is worth. Instead of raking up what happened in a bygone era in the run-up to the general election, the top leader ought to have raised the issue of the retrieval of the islet with the Sri Lankan government during his rule. …

Katchatheevu island issue: It was Jayalalithaa who fought for retrieval of Katchatheevu in Parliament, says MLA Thalavai N. Sundaram
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Katchatheevu island issue: It was Jayalalithaa who fought for retrieval of Katchatheevu in Parliament, says MLA Thalavai N. Sundaram

The Hindu  

Expressing surprise over BJP’s sudden interest in Katchatheevu issue just before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Kanniyakumari MLA and AIADMK leader Thalavai N. Sundaram claimed that it was former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who first raised the issue and filed a case with the Supreme Court in 2008. Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, he added, “It was …

India Surrendered Fishing Rights in Katchatheevu in 1974, 1976 Agreement Cemented it: Sri Lanka Document
8 months, 2 weeks ago

India Surrendered Fishing Rights in Katchatheevu in 1974, 1976 Agreement Cemented it: Sri Lanka Document

News 18  

Indian fishermen continue to be arrested by Sri Lankan authorities because India had surrendered fishing rights near Katchatheevu Island in 1974 itself “beyond doubt” and a further agreement in 1976 only further put this out explicitly, shows a Sri Lankan document of 2008 that News18 has accessed. The Sri Lankan minister cited Article 6 of the 1974 India-Sri Lanka agreement …

What’s behind the Katchatheevu island controversy?
8 months, 2 weeks ago

What’s behind the Katchatheevu island controversy?

Hindustan Times  

The annual feast for the devout at St Antony’s church on the Sri Lankan island of Katchatheevu, located in the choppy waters of Palk Strait, was revived in March 2010 after nearly three decades. Just over a month later, however, a political controversy is raging in India over the small island, used for drying fishing nets and for fishermen to …

In 1968, Ceylon’s ‘occupation’ of Katchatheevu sparked a debate
8 months, 3 weeks ago

In 1968, Ceylon’s ‘occupation’ of Katchatheevu sparked a debate

The Hindu  

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha election, the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have raked up the issue of ‘ceding’ of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in 1974. Interestingly, six years before India and Sri Lanka signed the agreement on the islet, reports of “occupation” of Katchatheevu by Ceylon triggered a fiery debate. Swell, an Independent member, pointedly asked …

BJP claims Centre working to bring back Katchatheevu island: Is it possible?
8 months, 3 weeks ago

BJP claims Centre working to bring back Katchatheevu island: Is it possible?

Live Mint  

Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai's claim that India is working to reclaim the Katchatheevu has given a diplomatic spin to the raging controversy, prompting Sri Lanka to maintain that the island remains within its control, even as a former diplomat cautioned the Centre against pushing Sri Lanka to China's sphere of influence like Maldives. "Katchatheevu was given to Sri …

'PM Modi gave clean chit to China': P Chidambaram, MK Stalin's counterattack over Katchatheevu row
8 months, 3 weeks ago

'PM Modi gave clean chit to China': P Chidambaram, MK Stalin's counterattack over Katchatheevu row

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi: Reacting to Narendra Modi's onslaught against the Congress and its ally DMK over the Katchatheevu island row, former home minister P Chidambaram claimed that China has been occupying Indian territory but the Prime Minister gave a clean chit to the Xi Jinping-led country. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin claimed that by raising the island issue, PM Modi …

PM Modi says DMK did nothing to safeguard Tamil Nadu's interests on Katchatheevu island issue
8 months, 3 weeks ago

PM Modi says DMK did nothing to safeguard Tamil Nadu's interests on Katchatheevu island issue

Op India  

After sharing a news article giving a detailed account of events that led to Sri Lanka overtaking the Katchatheevu island, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday slammed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and said that the new details emerging in connection to the island have unmasked the DMK’s double standards. PM Modi shared a statement by late DMK MP Era Sezhiyan …

'Cheap tactics': Congress attacks PM Narendra Modi over Katchatheevu
8 months, 3 weeks ago

'Cheap tactics': Congress attacks PM Narendra Modi over Katchatheevu

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi: The BJP is raising the Katchatheevu issue to divert attention from the "electoral bond scam", DMK said on Monday, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Tamil Nadu's ruling party over the matter. Congress leader Manickam Tagore said former PM Indira Gandhi had given away the island to save six lakh Tamils. A day after slamming the Congress for …

T.N. BJP is determined to retrieve Katchatheevu, says Annamalai
8 months, 3 weeks ago

T.N. BJP is determined to retrieve Katchatheevu, says Annamalai

The Hindu  

The Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party is determined to retrieve Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka, K. Annamalai, State president of the party, said near Palladam in Tiruppur district on Sunday. Mr. Annamalai, who is campaigning for the Lok Sabha election, told journalists that the only way to have a permanent solution for the problems faced by Tamil Nadu …

Can Katchatheevu's retrieval solve India's fishing conundrum?
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Can Katchatheevu's retrieval solve India's fishing conundrum?

India Today  

The brewing political issue of Katchatheevu islet has again found itself at the centre of a raging debate as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday doubled down on his accusation of Congress and DMK colluding to "give away" this tiny piece of land -- a flashpoint in the India-Sri Lanka fishing issue -- to Colombo. Situated nearly 25 kilometres northeast …

BJP, Oppn spar over Katchatheevu island
8 months, 3 weeks ago

BJP, Oppn spar over Katchatheevu island

Hindustan Times  

Katchatheevu, a small uninhabited island administered by Sri Lanka, was at the centre of a war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress on Sunday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing the Indira Gandhi government of “callously” ceding the territory to Colombo. New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away #Katchatheevu, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi …

All you need to know about Katchatheevu island, ‘ceded’ by Congress to Sri Lanka
8 months, 3 weeks ago

All you need to know about Katchatheevu island, ‘ceded’ by Congress to Sri Lanka

Hindustan Times  

Katchatheevu, an uninhabited island administered by Sri Lanka, became the subject of a political war of words in India on Sunday morning. Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, prime minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking a third consecutive term, criticised the erstwhile Congress government under then PM Indira Gandhi, of ‘giving away’ the island to Sri Lanka, in 1974. …

'Startling': PM Narendra Modi slams Congress for 'callously giving away' Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka
8 months, 3 weeks ago

'Startling': PM Narendra Modi slams Congress for 'callously giving away' Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday slammed the Congress for "callously" giving away the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka in the 1970s. PM Modi, sharing a news article which gave a detailed account of events that led to Sri Lanka overtaking the island, wrote on X that the Congress party can't be trusted. Last year, PM Modi had …

DMK's retort after Katchatheevu charge: 'Startling that PM's eyes...'
8 months, 3 weeks ago

DMK's retort after Katchatheevu charge: 'Startling that PM's eyes...'

India Today  

The DMK on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accusing the Congress of "callously" handing over the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka in 1974. PM Modi, citing a media report, accused the Congress of "weakening" the country's integrity and interests by "callously" handing over the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka in 1974. His response came after a …

Congress 'callously' gave away key island to Sri Lanka: PM's big attack
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Congress 'callously' gave away key island to Sri Lanka: PM's big attack

India Today  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hit out at the Congress over its decision to hand over the strategic Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka in the 1970s, accusing the party of "weakening" the country's integrity and interests. PM Modi's response came after a Right To Information report revealed how the Congress government led by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi handed …

'Indira Gandhi govt gave…': PM Modi in Lok Sabha blames Congress for partition
1 year, 4 months ago

'Indira Gandhi govt gave…': PM Modi in Lok Sabha blames Congress for partition

Hindustan Times  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday blamed the Congress for the partition of India, and also said it was the Indira Gandhi government which gave the Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka in 1974. In 1974, then prime minister Indira Gandhi accepted Katchatheevu as Sri Lankan territory under the "Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime agreement". "These people divided mother India into three parts …

Raise Katchatheevu, Tamils issue during Sri Lankan president’s visit: T.N. CM Stalin writes to PM Modi
1 year, 5 months ago

Raise Katchatheevu, Tamils issue during Sri Lankan president’s visit: T.N. CM Stalin writes to PM Modi

The Hindu  

Ahead of Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to New Delhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. In his letter, Mr. Stalin recalled the history behind ceding the Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka in 1974, “without the State government’s consent”, and contended that it has deprived T.N. Pointing out the demands of the Tamil Nadu government and the DMK for upholding …

Katchatheevu | An island for all, or none
1 year, 9 months ago

Katchatheevu | An island for all, or none

The Hindu  

The last-minute check for essential travel items, the mad rush to nearby shops to buy water bottles and water cans, elders urging children to keep their identity cards in hand, security personnel asking people to maintain order: this cacophony grows, as do the serpentine queues as people pour in, awaiting the short boat ride across a choppy sea. In batches, …

Katchatheevu can be retrieved only by Modi: Annamalai
2 years, 6 months ago

Katchatheevu can be retrieved only by Modi: Annamalai

The Hindu  

“Only the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the ability and determination to retrieve Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka,” said BJP state president K Annamalai here on Monday. He said the TN BJP’s stand with regard to Katchatheevu was not only retrieval but revival of the Article 6 which was cancelled in 1976 during the accord signed between Indian and Sri Lankan …

Attacked by Sri Lankan Navy with Bottles & Stones, Allege Fishermen
4 years, 1 month ago

Attacked by Sri Lankan Navy with Bottles & Stones, Allege Fishermen

News 18  

Groups of fishermen from Rameswaram were attacked by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel using bottles and stones early on Tuesday while fishing near Dhanushkodi, resulting in injuries to some and damage to their gear, a fishermen association leader alleged. While fishermen who ventured into the sea on Monday morning onboard 400 boats returned by night after being chased away by …

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