Pandit Nehru Saw Katchatheevu Island As A Nuisance: S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that Prime Ministers from the Congress exhibited apathy towards the Katchatheevu island issue and relinquished Indian fishermen's rights despite opposing legal opinions.

Speaking at a press conference, Jaishankar said that leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi referred to Katchatheevu, ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974 under a maritime boundary agreement, as a "little island" or "little rock". He claimed that the issue has continuously been a matter of concern rather than emerging suddenly.

The matter dates back to 1974 when the government under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi acknowledged the island as part of Sri Lanka under the India-Sri Lanka maritime agreement.

The issue has gained renewed attention following a media report citing an RTI response received by Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai regarding the 1974 pact.

S Jaishankar said, "... We are talking about 1958 and 1960... The main people in the case wanted to make sure that at least we should get the fishing rights... The island was given away in 1974 and the fishing rights were given away in 1976... One, the most basic recurring (aspect) is the indifference shown by the then central government and the PMs about the territory of India... That fact is they simply did not care..."

Reading out PM Jawaharlal Nehru's observation on the issue , the External Affairs Minister said, 'I attach no importance at all to this little island and I would have no hesitation in giving up our claim to it. I do not like matters like this pending indefinitely and being raised again and again in parliament.' So, to Pandit Nehru, this was a little island, it had no importance, he saw it as a nuisance... For him, the sooner you give it away, the better... This view continued on to Indira Gandhi as well...

The issue has been extensively discussed in Parliament and has been the subject of frequent correspondence between the Central government and the state government, stated Jaishankar, noting that he has responded to the chief minister on at least 21 occasions.

Jaishankar criticized the DMK for its public stance against the agreement, mentioning that its leader and former chief minister M Karunanidhi was fully briefed about the agreement reached in 1974 between India and Sri Lanka.

He accused the Congress and DMK of raising the issue in Parliament as if they bear no responsibility for it, despite their involvement in it. Jaishankar emphasized that the DMK collaborated with the Congress in 1974 and beyond, contributing to the current situation.

Over the past 20 years, 6,184 Indian fishermen have been detained by Sri Lanka, with 1,175 of their fishing vessels seized by the neighboring country, Jaishankar revealed. He highlighted the efforts of the Narendra Modi government in securing the release of Indian fishermen, stating, "We need to find a resolution. We must engage with the Sri Lankan government to address this." Jaishankar claimed that the people of Tamil Nadu have been misled about the issue for too long, and he aims to inform them by speaking on the matter.