Former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that Indira Gandhi's decision to give away Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka was not only incorrect but a "breach of faith".
In an interview with CNN-News18's Anand Narasimhan, Shringla said that even former Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK patriarch Karunanidhi was briefed about the issue multiple times and was well aware that the move will deprive Indian fishermen of their rights.
" ... Congress and DMK should explain to people about their actions. DMK has always been very vocal for fishermen’s rights … It went to court for the island, but this is a double standard … because the party knew everything," he said.
Shringla added that the island is closer to India than Sri Lanka and there was no reason for the Congress to hand it over to the neighbouring country.
The remarks come amid a major political row based on the findings of an RTI application filed by Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai. The response revealed that Congress government under Indira Gandhi handed over the island, located in the Palk Strait near Rameswaram, to Sri Lanka in 1974.
Speaking to CNN-News18, Shringla said that the British kept the island with India despite Sri Lanka (formerly Celyon) making a claim for it.
"Post-Independence also we had a strong case, still the Congress went ahead with giving the island to Sri Lanka ... It’s not just an island, it came with fishing rights ... A sovereign government giving an island to Sri Lanka was not only incorrect but it is a breach of faith,” the former foreign secretary, who served in the Modi government from January 2020 to April 2022, said.
Shringla added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have never allowed such a thing to happen.
The former diplomat also voiced concerns about the security threat the Indira-era decision may cause due to China's expansionist behaviour in the Indian Ocean Region.
“Sri Lanka can give the island to companies, and it can be a serious security issue,” Shringla said.
Earlier, speaking to news agency ANI, Shringla said that India's decision to give away the island is the primary reason behind the issue faced by our fishermen.
Notably, the tiny island was used by fishermen from both countries.
"In our relationship with Sri Lanka, the main problem we face is related to our fishermen... The reason behind this factor was revealed after this RTI went public, and these documents have come into public after 50 years as is the norm ... The issue which we face today with regard to the Tamil Nadu fishermen is essentially because of the agreements signed in 1974 and 1976 by then PM Indira Gandhi," Shringla told ANI.
He added that all the atrocities faced by Indian fishermen held captive in Sri Lanka since 1976 could have been avoided had Indira government demarcated Katchatheevu as part of India.
"Karunanidhi, the patriarch of DMK was consulted extensively and his concurrence in principle was obtained before the issue was put forward and the agreement was concluded ... Pt Nehru and Indira Gandhi both maintained that Katchatheevu was a piece of rock," he said, echoing a similar statement made by external affairs minister S Jaishankar recently.
Ahead of polling in Tamil Nadu on April 19 for the Lok Sabha elections, the Katchatheevu issue has been put on centrestage in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently attacked the Congress and the DMK over the ceding of the tiny island 50 years ago.
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