Modi accused of ‘desperate rake up’ in decades-old island dispute
India’s prime minister has been accused of “desperately raking up” a decades-old island dispute in a bid to win over more voters in southern India ahead of the elections this month.
Katchatheevu, which is just 0.7 sq miles, with only one structure – a Catholic church, was ceded to Sri Lanka by mutual agreement in 1974.
As part of the pact, fishermen were barred from the Palk Strait waters around the island, something that still remains an emotive issue for many in the large southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
When Narendra Modi tweeted last weekend that the opposition Congress party, which was in power at the time, “callously gave away” the island, he caused political outrage.
He wrote: “Weakening India’s unity, integrity and interests has been Congress’ way of working for 75 years and counting.”
His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) went on to accuse its rivals in control of Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), of succumbing to pressure from Sri Lanka.
Manuraj Shunmugasundaram, the DMK spokesman, said: “It is a desperate and misguided attempt to try and create an issue where there is none to woo voters in Tamil Nadu.”
He accused the prime minister, who is seeking a rare third term this year, of weaponising “a 50-year-old settled issue for scoring political points”.
“Because of their lack of any good agenda, the BJP out of desperation has raked up an issue to distract the people from asking questions on real issues such as employment and inflation,” Mr Shunmugasundaram said.
BJP is trying to make inroads in Tamil Nadu after it won none of the state’s 39 seats in India’s 545-member parliament during the last election.
Mr Modi’s party’s presence is also marginal in the other four big southern states Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. In total, the south represents 130 seats. BJP currently holds just 30 of them.
A recent defeat at the hands of the Congress in Karnataka state elections has highlighted a widening north-south gap in India and likely spurred BJP to seek new ways to attract voters.
Jibes by Congress over BJP’s inability to stop China from seizing territory on India’s northern border have also spurred a more aggressive stance from Mr Modi.
Mr Modi’s adoption of the Katchatheevu issue is unlikely to move the dial in his favour, experts say.
Rariyam Kandath Radhakrishnan, a political analyst and Frontline magazine editor, said: “It is a non-issue but BJP focuses on raking up issues to win elections regardless of the cost India as a nation has to pay.
“People of south India respond to developments but Modi has refused to deliver the promises made to the people here. Modi came as many as 10 times for elections but refused to turn up in December when the worst natural calamity hit Tamil Nadu,” he said, referring to cyclone Michuang.
“This is not seen as something that can be platable in Tamil Nadu, somehow the prime minister refuses to understand the equation,” he added.
Any change in policy is seen as unlikely.
Ashok Kantha, former High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka between 2009–13, said: “Katchatheevu has been an emotive issue for India and it will figure out to some extent as part of an electoral campaign but I don’t think any step is being taken by India to seek any change in it.”
For Sri Lanka, the reaction has been much more subdued.
Ali Sabry, its foreign minister, said: “There is no controversy. They are having an internal political debate about who is responsible. Other than that, no one is talking about claiming Katchatheevu.”
