What is Katchatheevu island? Why is it still a burning issue in Tamil Nadu?

The Katchatheevu island issue made a resounding comeback in Indian political circles more than five decades after the dispute was settled between the then Congress government led by Indira Gandhi and Sri Lanka.

The issue was raked up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 31 after an RTI revealed that India relinquished its claims and handed over the tiny disputed island to Sri Lanka in 1974.

As Congress and BJP spar over whether ceding the island to the neighbouring country was a wise decision, here's what we all need to know about Katchatheevu, which is still a hot burning topic in Tamil Nadu.

ISLAND'S LOCATION

Katchatheevu is a 285-acre uninhabited off-shore island in the Palk Strait. It lies northeast of Rameswaram, about 33 km from the Indian coast, and about 62 km southwest of Jaffna, at the northern tip of Sri Lanka.

ISLAND'S ORIGINS

It was formed due to volcanic eruptions in the 14th century. In the early medieval period, it was controlled by the Jaffna kingdom of Sri Lanka. In the 17th century, control passed to the Ramnad zamindari based out of Ramanathapuram. During British rule, the island was jointly administered by India and Sri Lanka.

CLAIM OF OWNERSHIP

In 1921, India and Sri Lanka, both part of British colonies at that time, claimed Katchatheevu in order to determine fishing boundaries. A survey marked Katchatheevu in Sri Lanka, but a British delegation from India challenged this, citing ownership of the island by the Ramnad kingdom. This dispute was not settled until 1974.

1974 MARITIME AGREEMENT

In 1974, then-Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi sought to settle the matter once and for all. As part of the Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime agreement, Indira Gandhi ceded Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. Reports say that Indira thought that the disputed island had little strategic value and gave the island to deepen India's ties with the southern neighbour. Moreover, the agreement also allowed Indian fishermen to fish around the island, and permitted Indian pilgrims to visit the Catholic shrine located on the island.

SOURCE OF TENSION

Fishermen from India and Sri Lanka have historically used Katchatheevu for fishing. Though this was acknowledged in the 1974 agreement, a supplementary pact was signed in 1976 which prohibited either country from fishing. Over time, the depletion of maritime sources on the Indian side forced Indian fishermen to fish around the island. But in 2009, when the war with the Tamil rebel group LTTE was at its peak, Sri Lanka started taking tough measures. To date, the Sri Lankan Navy routinely arrests Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu and there have been many allegations of custodial torture and death. Every time such arrests take place, calls to claim Katchatheevu are raised again.

Also watch: DMK says it opposed ceding Katchatheevu, TN Cong seeks answers for 'Chinese incursion'