Will retrieval of Katchatheevu solve the problems of Tamil fishermen? | In Focus podcast
The controversy over Katchatheevu is back in the media spotlight. With just a few weeks left for the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue by claiming that the Congress \u201cgave away\u201d Katchatheevu. He also claimed that the DMK, in contrast to its public posturing, was fully kept in the loop as the Congress \u201cceded\u201d Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. The PM\u2019s claims were further amplified by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.\nThe controversy revolves around two bilateral agreements, one signed in 1974, and another in 1976, pertaining to maritime boundaries and fishing rights in the Katchatheevu region. The Opposition has responded to the Prime Minister by citing the Modi government\u2019s own reply to an RTI query in 2015 where it had said that Katchatheevu belonged to Sri Lanka.\nHow did Katchatheevu \u2013 a tiny, uninhabited patch of land \u2013 become a contentious issue? What is its significance for the fishing rights of Indian fishermen? And are the fishing-related issues, such as the detention of Indian fishermen, really linked to the territorial claims over Katchatheevu?\n\nGuest: K Venkataramanan, Senior Associate Editor at The Hindu.\nHost: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu.\nEdited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.