PM Modi's Sri Lanka Visit: A New Chapter for Katchatheevu Island Debate?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ongoing visit to Sri Lanka has sparked renewed hope and debate over the long-standing demand to reclaim Katchatheevu Island. The Tamil Nadu Assembly recently passed a resolution urging the retrieval of the island, citing its significance for Indian fishermen’s traditional rights. Opposition leaders, including Congress and DMK, have pressed PM Modi to address this issue during his talks with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Katchatheevu, which was surrendered to Sri Lanka in 1974 under a bilateral treaty, has been a source of controversy owing to its effects on fishing rights in the Palk Bay area. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin stressed that the recovery of the island is necessary to protect fishermen's livelihoods. Congress MP Manickam Tagore, in the meantime, blamed Sri Lanka for abusing the territory and demanded that it be handed back.

While PM Modi’s agenda focuses on defense, energy, and trade partnerships, the Katchatheevu issue looms large as an emotive subject for Tamil Nadu. Whether this visit will pave the way for a resolution remains uncertain, but it has undoubtedly reignited national discourse on the island’s future.

Source: India Today, Al Jazeera, Hindustan Times