Key Points
New Delhi: Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, a political row has broken out over the barren and uninhabited 1.6 km-long Katchatheevu island, which India recognised as Sri Lankan territory in 1974...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar blamed the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for callously giving away the island...
The then prime minister Indira Gandhi signed a maritime boundary agreement with her Sri Lankan counterpart Sirimavo Bandaranaike, which recognised the island, located in the Palk Strait about 24 km north-east of Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu and approximately 22 km south-west of Delft Islands in Sri Lanka, as a part of Sri Lankan territory...
However, another 2015 RTI reply furnished by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and shared by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on X noted that there was no acquiring or ceding of territory belonging to India as part of the 1974 agreement since the area in question had never been demarcated...
Article 4 of the agreement highlighted that both countries shall have sovereignty and exclusive jurisdiction over the waters, islands, the continental shelf and sub-soil based on the demarcated line, which put the island of Kathchatheevu in Sri Lankan territory...
You might be interested in
What’s behind the Katchatheevu island controversy?
03, Apr, 24PM Narendra Modi's tweet reignites Katchatheevu dispute between India and Sri Lanka. | Latest News India
India, Sri Lanka paid heavy price for Katchatheevu claims. Tiny island not worth obsessing over
03, Apr, 24India’s strategic interests don’t lie in securing control of a tiny island. Instead, the real challenge India faces is containing China’s growing influence in Sri Lanka.
Katchatheevu row: Sri Lanka says island falls within its control as India ‘readies’ to reclaim island, says BJP
02, Apr, 24Sri Lankan minister claims Katchatheevu island falls within its control, 'no official communication from India yet'. BJP's Annamalai asserts India's efforts to reclaim territory.
BJP claims Centre working to bring back Katchatheevu island: Is it possible?
02, Apr, 24BJP leader asserts efforts to reclaim Katchatheevu island, while Sri Lankan minister maintains the island is within their control. Another minister supports maintaining current national boundaries.
Politics aside, why Katchatheevu matters
02, Apr, 24Katchatheevu Island is back in the headlines ahead of the Lok Sabha election. India ceded claims to the island when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister. The island is of importance as China looks to expand its footprint in the Indian Ocean Region and for thousands of Indian fishermen.
How is the St. Antony’s church festival at Katchatheevu celebrated?
16, Mar, 23A video on St. Antony’s church festival at Katchatheevu, that draws pilgrims, mainly fisherfolk, from both India and Sri Lanka.
EXPLAINER: Decoding PM Modi’s attack on Congress, Rahul Gandhi using 'Mizoram' IAF airstrike, Katchatheevu island
12, Aug, 23Replying to the no-confidence motion moved by INDIA parties against his government this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi references to two relatively unknown issues to castigate the Congress and Rahul Gandhi took many by surprise.
Network-to-network agreement for UPI acceptance signed by India and Sri Lanka
21, Jul, 23India and Sri Lanka have signed an agreement to introduce Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Sri Lanka, which will increase Fintech connectivity, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The announcement was made during Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to India.
'Startling': PM Narendra Modi slams Congress for 'callously giving away' Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka
31, Mar, 24PM Narendra Modi accused the Congress of weakening India's unity. | Latest News India
How Indira Gandhi 'ceded' an island to Sri Lanka, and why it could turn into a big election debate
31, Mar, 24Documents show India's wavering approach to the Katchatheevu island dispute with Sri Lanka, impacting fishermen. Internal disagreements and legal complexities influenced India's decision to relinquish the claim in 1974.