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Retrieve Katchatheevu to end woes: AIADMK

By P.S. Suresh Kumar

Ramanathapuram March 8. The AIADMK has urged the Centre to take immediate steps to retrieve Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka for a lasting solution to the fishermen problem in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to The Hindu here today, the Labour Minister, A. Anwar Raja, said more than 90 Tamil Nadu fishermen had been killed by the Sri Lankan Navy since the ethnic conflict erupted in the island nation. Under a 1974 agreement, Tamil Nadu fishermen should enjoy full rights to dry their nets, visit St. Antony's church and attend the festival in the island without obtaining visa. But all these existed only on paper. In reality, whenever Indian fishermen approached the waters around Katchatheevu, they were threatened and shot at by the Sri Lankan Navy. Now the Sri Lankan fishermen too had started attacking their counterparts in the coastal areas of the State.

Moreover, from the revenue records of the then Madras Government, it was clear Katchatheevu was part of the State. The island was surveyed in 1956 and was included as part of Rameswaram in the survey number 1250. In 1952, in a survey map produced by the Survey department on the basis of the earlier maps of 1895 and 1930, the island was shown as part of India. Despite the overwhelming evidence of India's right over the island, the Government of India seemed to be rather hesitant about claiming ownership, the Minister said.

The Centre should mount pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to allow long-term lease of the areas rich in prawns so that the livelihood of the Rameswaram fishermen was protected, he said.

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