New Delhi
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar criticized former Prime Ministers Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi on Monday for ceding Katchatheevu Island to a neighboring nation, emphasizing the public’s right to know about the events during the Congress regimes. Jaishankar stressed the importance of understanding how the island was relinquished, why the public was misled for decades, and who should be held accountable, highlighting the matter’s implications for national security.
The dispute over Katchatheevu has sparked a verbal battle between political parties, with the BJP accusing the Congress of compromising the nation’s borders, while the latter characterizes it as a friendly agreement between India and Sri Lanka. During a press briefing, the EAM delved into the dispute, explaining its origins and its ongoing strain on the two countries’ relations.
Jaishankar recounted that in 1974, India and Sri Lanka demarcated a maritime boundary, resulting in Katchatheevu falling under Sri Lankan jurisdiction. However, this agreement included clauses ensuring each country’s exclusive sovereignty over the waters and allowing Indian fishermen continued access to Katchatheevu without additional travel documents. He noted that two years later, a subsequent agreement altered these assurances, leading to the detention of thousands of Indian fishermen and the confiscation of their vessels.
Jaishankar criticized the Congress party’s attitude towards the issue, highlighting Nehru and Indira Gandhi’s dismissive characterization of Katchatheevu as a small island and a rock, respectively. He also drew parallels with the Aksai Chin issue, emphasizing the past leadership’s ignorance.
