Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union Government to review the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement and take immediate steps to reclaim Katchatheevu Island. The resolution also calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to engage with Sri Lanka for the release of imprisoned Indian fishermen and their boats during his upcoming visit to the island nation.
The move comes just days before PM Modi’s scheduled visit to Sri Lanka, adding urgency to Tamil Nadu’s long-standing demand. While opposition parties AIADMK and BJP expressed concerns over the DMK government’s renewed focus on the Katchatheevu issue, they extended full support to the resolution.
Before presenting the resolution, Chief Minister MK Stalin voiced deep concern over the continuous arrests, boat seizures, and fines imposed on Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, despite repeated appeals to the Centre. Citing External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recent statement in the Rajya Sabha, Stalin noted that 97 Indian fishermen remain imprisoned in Sri Lanka, with 530 arrests recorded in 2024 alone. He questioned whether similar treatment of fishermen from other states would be tolerated, criticising the BJP-led Central Government for its inaction.
Stalin asserted that Tamil Nadu’s fishermen are Indian citizens and insisted that reclaiming Katchatheevu is the only permanent solution to their plight. He accused the Union Government of spreading misinformation about the 1974 Indo-Sri Lankan agreement, which ceded the island to Sri Lanka. Stalin pointed out that former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had strongly opposed the agreement, and successive state governments—including those led by Jayalalithaa and O Panneerselvam—had also passed resolutions demanding Katchatheevu’s retrieval.
Highlighting his continued efforts, Stalin revealed that he had written 74 letters to the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister on the issue. Stressing the urgent need to protect Tamil Nadu’s fishermen, he urged Modi to take decisive action during his Sri Lanka visit.
The resolution states: “Retrieval of Katchatheevu Island is the only permanent solution to safeguard the traditional fishing rights of Tamil Nadu’s fishermen and mitigate their sufferings due to Sri Lankan Navy actions.” It calls for an immediate review of the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement and demands necessary steps to reclaim Katchatheevu. Additionally, it urges the Prime Minister to negotiate with the Sri Lankan Government for the release of Indian fishermen and their boats on humanitarian grounds.
Leaders from multiple parties, including AIADMK’s Edappadi K Palaniswami, BJP’s Vanathi Srinivasan, Congress’ K Selvaperunthagai, and others from CPI, CPM, PMK, and MDMK, expressed their support for the resolution.
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