How Indira Gandhi 'ceded' an island to Sri Lanka, and why it could turn into a big election debate

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Key Points

Annamalai has shed light on India's wavering approach to the Katchatheevu island dispute with Sri Lanka...

The decision to cede Katchatheevu has been a source of contention in Tamil Nadu, particularly for fishermen who continue to face arrest by Sri Lankan authorities..

Soon after independence, Ceylon, then known as Sri Lanka, asserted that the Indian Navy, then known as the Royal Indian Navy, could not hold exercises on the island without its consent..

However, Singh acknowledged Sri Lanka's steadfast position based on historical records indicating Katchatheevu's association with the kingdom of Jaffnapatnam, as well as Dutch and British maps supporting Sri Lanka's claim..

Despite India's legal arguments and the absence of conclusive evidence, Singh emphasized Sri Lanka's sovereignty assertion since 1925 and cited an attorney general's opinion from 1970 favoring Sri Lanka's claim...

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