The Katchatheevu Island

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi referenced the island of Katchatheevu during a speech in the Indian Parliament on August 10.

PM Modi criticized congress and pointed out that it was the Indira Gandhi government that ceded Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in 1974.
Katchatheevu, once a part of India, was given away under the Indira Gandhi administration’s decision, which remains a historical point of contention.
The transfer of Katchatheevu remains a hot-button political issue in Tamil Nadu, drawing attention from politicians across different parties.
Katchatheevu’s transfer continues to evoke strong sentiments and debates in Tamil Nadu, reflecting the island’s significance as a regional political matter.

Katchatheevu is a small island located in the Palk Strait, situated between India and Sri Lanka.
It is an uninhabited island that spans about 285 acres in size.

Geographical Location:
- Katchatheevu is positioned in the Palk Strait, which separates the southeastern coast of India from the northern coast of Sri Lanka.

Proximity to India:
- The island is situated to the northeast of Rameswaram, a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
- It is approximately 33 kilometers away from the Indian coastline.

Proximity to Sri Lanka:
- Katchatheevu is situated about 62 kilometers southwest of Jaffna, which is the northernmost city in Sri Lanka.
- Additionally, it is located around 24 kilometers away from Delft Island, an inhabited island belonging to Sri Lanka.

Size and Dimensions:
- Katchatheevu is quite small in size.
- It is approximately 1.6 kilometers in length and slightly over 300 meters wide at its broadest point.

The only structure on the island is an early 20th century Catholic shrine – St Anthony’s church.
During an annual festival, Christian priests from both India and Sri Lanka conduct the service, with devotees from both India and Sri Lanka making the pilgrimage.
Katchatheevu is not suited for permanent settlement as there is no source of drinking water on the island.

The island of Katchatheevu has a relatively recent geological origin, arising from a volcanic eruption in the 14th century.
In the early medieval period, Katchatheevu was under the control of the Jaffna kingdom in Sri Lanka.
By the 17th century, control over the island shifted to the Ramnad zamindari, situated in Ramanathapuram, located around 55 km northwest of Rameswaram.
During the British Raj, Katchatheevu became part of the Madras Presidency.
In 1921, both India and Sri Lanka, then British colonies, laid competing claims to Katchatheevu in order to establish fishing boundaries.
A survey identified Katchatheevu as part of Sri Lanka. However, a British delegation from India disputed this, asserting ownership based on its historical association with the Ramnad kingdom.
This dispute remained unresolved until 1974, marking a period of protracted negotiations and discussions.

In 1974, Indira Gandhi initiated efforts to settle the maritime border dispute between India and Sri Lanka definitively.
The result was the ‘Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement,’ which involved the cession of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.
The decision to cede Katchatheevu was motivated by the belief that the island held little strategic value for India, and that such a move would strengthen bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka.
While Indian fishermen were granted continued access to Katchatheevu under the agreement, the issue of fishing rights remained unresolved.
Sri Lanka interpreted Indian fishermen’s access to Katchatheevu as limited to activities such as resting, drying nets, and visiting the Catholic shrine, without requiring a visa.
Another agreement in 1976, during India’s Emergency period, prohibited both countries from fishing within each other’s Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
Katchatheevu’s location on the boundary of the EEZs of both countries added complexity to fishing rights, as uncertainty persisted regarding the extent of access.

1983-2009: The Sri Lankan Civil War, spanning from 1983 to 2009, shifted focus away from the Katchatheevu border dispute.
Sri Lanka’s naval forces were primarily occupied with cutting off supply lines of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) based in Jaffna.
During this period, Indian fishermen frequently ventured into Sri Lankan waters, especially with larger trawlers that caused overfishing and damage to Sri Lankan fishing equipment.
2009:
- The end of the civil war in Sri Lanka marked a significant change.
- Sri Lanka bolstered its maritime defenses and directed attention to Indian fishermen.
With marine resources depleting on the Indian side, Indian fishermen increasingly entered Sri Lankan waters, but now faced consequences due to Sri Lanka’s reinforced defenses.
The Sri Lankan navy began routinely arresting Indian fishermen, leading to allegations of custodial torture and even deaths.
The heightened tensions surrounding Indian fishermen’s incursions into Sri Lankan waters have revived the demand for Katchatheevu’s ownership.
Each time incidents of arrest or mistreatment occur, the demand to reclaim Katchatheevu gains renewed momentum.

Tamil Nadu’s position on Katchatheevucenters on the belief that the island was “given away” to Sri Lanka without consulting the Tamil Nadu state assembly.
The transfer sparked vehement protests against Indira Gandhi’s decision, as it disregarded historical control by the Ramnad zamindari and traditional fishing rights of Indian Tamil fishermen.
In 1991, following India’s intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War, the Tamil Nadu Assembly demanded the retrieval of Katchatheevu and restoration of Tamil fishermen’s fishing rights.
In 2008, J Jayalalitha, then leader of AIADMK, filed a petition arguing that ceding Katchatheevu required a constitutional amendment, as it affected Indian fishermen’s livelihoods.
The Union government’s stance has remained largely unchanged, maintaining that the island’s status was always disputed and that no Indian territory was ceded or sovereignty relinquished.
Despite demands from Tamil politicians, even the Narendra Modi government has not taken significant action to retrieve Katchatheevu, as options are limited.