Reopening Katchatheevu issue by BJP: Ploy to target DMK, blame Nehru legacy, or checkmate Sri Lanka?

FOR successive Sri Lankan Governments and the people of Sri Lanka, the subject of Katchatheevu has long been viewed as conclusively resolved through two bilateral agreements signed with India in 1974 and 1976. However, the issue continues to resonate in Tamil Nadu, where political and emotional sensitivities remain.

- By P.M. Amza

As someone who served as Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai from 2006 to 2009, a period that coincided with the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka, I witnessed firsthand the heightened sentiments in Tamil Nadu.

The military offensive in the North of Sri Lanka provoked strong reactions, including nearly a dozen incidents of self-immolation in protest. The Katchatheevu issue, often confined to Tamil Nadu’s political discourse, resurfaced as opposition parties such as the AIADMK and its allies blamed the DMK for “handing over” (tharaivarthal) the island to Sri Lanka.

During my tenure, I observed very limited discussions on the issue beyond Tamil Nadu. In my understanding, those in New Delhi had viewed the Katchatheevu matter as settled, much like the view held in Colombo.

Against this backdrop, it was surprising—both to me and many others familiar with Indian politics—when, during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders reignited the issue. They even released archival documents to support their claim that the Congress government had acted against national interests in “ceding” the island.

The underlying objective of this move by the BJP appears to be strategic entry into Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, which has long been dominated by Dravidian ideology, particularly the legacy of Thanthai Periyar. Tamil Nadu has traditionally shown less appetite for religious or Hindutva politics, making it a challenging terrain for the BJP. Raising the Katchatheevu issue allows the party to embarrass the DMK, which held power in Tamil Nadu during the time of the original agreement. Some observers also interpret it as a tactical move to pressure or checkmate Sri Lanka, thereby increasing India’s leverage over the current administration in Colombo.