Theevu continues to trigger heated debates

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed noisy scenes when finance and fisheries minister D. Jayakumar on Monday alleged that granting of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in 1974 is the main reason for the problems faced by the state fishermen.

Intervening during the speech of leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin on a call attention on the killing of Thangachimadam fishermen Britjo by the Sri Lankan navy, the minister recalled the granting of Katchatheevu islet. The DMK members were on their feet strongly objecting to Jayakumar's remarks, leading to noisy scenes in the House.

Speaker P. Dhanapal tried to pacify the DMK members saying that the minister did not refer to the DMK and he was only making a general statement. The minister also asked why the DMK members are agitated at the mention of Katchatheevu.

However, Stalin pointed out that the islet was granted when DMK was in power and listed the party's actions opposing the move by the Centre. He said DMK leader M. Karunanidhi  who was the Chief Minister in 1974 had written a letter to the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi  against granting Katchatheevu to Lanka.

Karunanidhi had recorded the state government's strong opposition to the move with the officials of foreign affairs. Since, the Centre had the power to decide, the islet was granted to Lanka, he explained.

Stalin also recalled that Karunanidhi convened an all-party meeting and passed a resolution against the granting of Katchatheevu on 9 June 1974. The copy of the resolution was sent to the Centre and DMK member R. Chezhian also raised spoke against the move in Parliament, he added. The DMK held public meetings to condemn the move on 24 July 1974, Stalin said.

However, the minister said it was former AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa who filed a case against acceding Katchatheevu in the Supreme Court and asked why the DMK government did not file such a case after 1974.

The DMK leader said the Lankan government is adamant and the attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen and seizing of their equipment had not stopped. He also alleged that the Lankan government is ignoring the decisions taken at the meeting of the two countries. The retrieval of Katchatheevu would be the permanent solution to the attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen.