Main Minister Tamil Nadu MK Stalin moves a resolution and urges the center to take steps to obtain the island of Katchatheeva from Sri Lanka, at the legislative assembly in Chennai 2. April 2025 | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Before visiting Prime Minister Narendry Modi in Sri Lanka, the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday (April 2, 2025) unanimously adopted a resolution and called on the Union government to take steps to obtain the island of Katchatheev, located in Palk Bay, from Sri Lanka.
The resolution, which has moved the main Minister of MK Stalin, said: “The acquisition of the island of Katchatheeva is the only permanent solution that protects the traditional fishing rights of fishermen Tamil Nadu and alleviate the suffering that I face for Sri Lankan.”
The TN assembly accepts resolutions to search for katchatheev from Sri Lanka | Video credit: Hindi
The Resolution called on the Union’s government to immediately review the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement from 1974 and take steps to obtain the island of Katchatheeva. The Resolution also called on the Prime Minister to pre -payment with the Sri Lankan government to release all imprisoned fishermen together with their ships during their official visit to Sri Lanka.
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Mr. Stalin, who introduced the resolution, said that continued attacks on Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu from the Sri Lanka navy became a continuing and endless tragedy, although there was a political change in Sri Lanka. “The Union’s government often forgets that Tamil Nadu fishermen are also Indian fishermen. Therefore, I emphasize that they are Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu … before the parliamentary elections in 2014, which would be on the basis of power to detain and were detained and corrupted.
“In 2024 alone, 530 fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lanka navy. The action to stop it,” he said.
The main minister also stated that he had written 74 letters to the Prime Minister and the Trade Union Minister. “Whenever I meet the prime minister, I emphasize this matter. Despite repeated efforts to talk between fishermen of both countries, no constructive results have been achieved. Sri Lanka’s continuing action of arresting fishermen and seizing ships and their traditional fear in their threat.
He also claimed that for some political parties the norm was to spread misinformation and claimed that the then government Tamil Nadu supported the assignment of Katchatheeva to Sri Lanka. “However, it is regrettable that the Union government also repeats the same for political profits. The former Chief Minister of Kalago (M. Karunanidhi) strongly opposed the distribution of Katchatheeva. He claimed that the inhabitants of Tamil would not accept it either.
Furthermore, Mr. Stalin said on 21 August 1974, the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu adopted a resolution that expresses the decision of the Katchatheeva Center and urged the government to re -evaluate the agreement with Sri Lanka and respect the rights of Tamil’s Nadu. The DMK government has several attempts to back Katchatheev and compliance with the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen. When the DMK was in power, the letters were regularly written by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Trade Union for external affairs and urged them to protect the traditional fishing rights of fishermen Tamil Nadu.
During the possession of former main Minister Jayalitha, resolution on October 3, 1991 and 3 May 2013, which urged the Union government, was adopted in the Assembly to regain the Katchatheeva. Similarly, when O. Panneerselvam was the main minister, a resolution of 5 December 2014 took place, said Stalin. “When the prime minister first visited Tamil Nada after I became the main minister, I categorically called on him to get Katchatheeva … But the BJP government in the center did not take any constructive steps concerning Katchatheeva search,” he added.
Bent debate
Although all political parties supported the government resolution in the Assembly, the opposition leader Edapppads. K. Palaniswami claimed during the discussion that although he was a coalition partner of the Center in various occasions for almost 16 years, DMK did not find a friendly solution to the problem of Katchatheeva. “When I was the main minister, I met the Prime Minister and urged him to solve this problem.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Stalin intervened and said he was constantly urging the Union’s government through letters and meeting leaders in person to find a permanent solution to the problem of fishermen. He also asked whether Mr. Palaniswami took over the problem of fishermen with leaders in the center during his recent visit to Nový Delhi. The main minister also urged him not to deviate from the purpose of the resolution.
Previously, Coimbatore South Mla and BJP leader Vanathi Srinivasan said that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was then a deputy, supported the DMK deputies in parliament when he opposed the Indo-Srinian agreement in 1974. Karunanidhi was informed. However, the Ministers of the Water Resources and the leader of the house Duraimurugan and the Minister of Law S. Regupathy, however, won a strong objection to her statement. Mr. Regupathy claimed: “Kalaignar has never been consulted and did not consent to this matter.”
Published – April 2 2025 01:53 IS IS
