The Sri Lankan news media is not amused. Nor are most of the Indian newspapers. After Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Congress and the DMK for their “callousness’’ in giving away the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka on Sunday, the Sri Lanka Guardian wrote in its editorial that Modi’s comments were “not only reckless but perilous in the realm of international diplomacy… (PM Modi should) refrain from engaging in manipulative politicking with delicate matters that carry profound repercussions.’’
The Sri Lankan publication got even more annoyed when Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar reinforced these comments on Monday and voiced concerns for Indian fishermen’s rights. “He (Jaishankar) shamelessly peddles narratives that conveniently serve his political agenda… Dr. Jaishankar’s blatant disregard for the truth in the Katchatheevu issue is not only unfair but also detrimental to India’s reputation on the global stage,’’ the editorial read.
Mainstream English newspapers in India were also openly upset with the Prime Minister and the foreign minister —now that doesn’t happen very often. And it’s piquant because the debate over the small island was started by the media itself when The Times of India published this story, which the PM tweeted about, leading to a political storm.
Politicising an island
What did the Indian news media say?
The Deccan Herald wrote that the PM’s comments were “unfortunate” and made for “narrow electoral considerations”. “It is wrong and unwise to rake up such a well-settled matter after so many years…prime minister should be more responsible in making statements on sensitive matters…’’ it added.
The Hindu editorial said that the PM, “has set an unhealthy trend of politicizing an issue for electoral gains, one that has bearing on ties with Sri Lanka…”, while The Indian Express said the leadership of the BJP’s “raking up” the Katchatheevu issue “to score points over its rival…is troubling”.
Hindustan Times disagreed with Jaishankar. It said that Katchatheevu “had little to do with the issue of the safety of Indian fishermen”. It also had words of advice for the PM and foreign minister: “leaders should show maturity not to stoke old fires and singe ties with a friendly nation in the quest for electoral dividends. Remember, Beijing is waiting in the shadows.’’
To all these worried news outlets, Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror has words of comfort: “India has no intention to reverse the agreement that ceded the Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka despite the political debate in India that is primarily meant for domestic consumption in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.’’
Also read: Criticism, kindness, complaints—ThePrint readers don’t hold back. And we don’t want them to
Wadge Bank and BJP’s plan
It seems the news media is not alone in being unhappy with the PM. According to the Deccan Herald, the very people Jaishankar sought to represent were upset. In a report from Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, it said that the fishermen were “angry” with Modi for “suddenly remembering” Katchatheevu “after being in deep slumber” these last 10 years. The fishermen reportedly wanted to know why the Prime Minister hadn’t done anything about the issue during his tenure.
Angry fishermen in Tamil Nadu are the last thing the BJP wants. What it wants, the media tells us, is to gain a “foothold” in the state and it believes “uninhabited island, spread over 285 acres, 1.6 km in length and no more than 300 metres broad’’ will help (The Indian Express). An article in The Hindu may dash these hopes. It says the value of Katchatheevu as an “electoral issue” is “doubtful”, going by the Lok Sabha results in Ramanathapuram since 1977. Only twice did candidates not backed by DMK or Congress win the constituency.
Well, all may not be lost for the BJP—the party has a “plan” up its sleeve. A BJP leader told The Indian Express about “a plan to come out with a significant announcement on Katchatheevu island before the end of the current Modi regime”.
“Of course, it was an ambitious plan but it hasn’t materialised so far,” he said. Huh? Did you get what he meant?
Besides the fishermen, former Indian diplomats are deeply concerned by the Katchatheevu controversy. The Hindu, followed by The Indian Express reported that the retired bureaucrats warned of “broader diplomatic” repercussions (The Hindu) of the issue by raising questions about bilateral agreements. There was “disquiet” among Indian and Sri Lankan diplomats, reported The Indian Express – they felt the 1974 agreement had been concluded in “good faith on both sides’’.
Some of them pointed out that India had gained access to the Wadge Bank to the south of Kanyakumari and its rich mineral resources in exchange for the island.
Also read: Modi’s Katchatheevu claims ‘reckless’, are ‘perilous’ for diplomacy, says Sri Lankan editorial
Changing stance
The Wadge bank angle to the Katchatheevu issue was missing from the PM and foreign minister’s remarks – and from most news reports on Monday and Tuesday. In fact, The Economic Times was probably one of the few to have a separate report on it. In passing, the newspaper reported how the current government had “invited bids for oil and gas exploration in Wadge Bank, triggering protests by fishermen in Tamil Nadu and Kerala”.
This story in Newslaundry also says that in the 1970s, the Wadge Bank was believed to have vast undersea gas and oil reserves.
Most of the news media, including TV news channels, reported on the political bickering between BJP and the Opposition Congress and DMK. Most newspapers also carried lengthy explainers on the tiny island and its historical background—who did it belong to? ‘Who gave it to whom’ is a complex story the media tried to decode.
Such explainers give you historical details that sometimes make all the difference. For example, The Indian Express one disputes the BJP claim that DMK’s M Karunanidhi went along with the 1976 agreement. It says that Tamil Nadu assembly records show he had tried to “move a resolution in the House in 1974 against the Katchatheevu agreement, but the opposition AIADMK had refused to go along”.
Nearly all the news outlets also pointed out that in a 2015 RTI response, the BJP government replied that the 1974 and 1976 agreements did not involve “ceding’’ any Indian territory.
Political relevance on TV news
Was there any support for the BJP on Katchatheevu? Of course—and it came from television news. Modi’s and Jaishankar’s comments filled the airwaves on Monday. That “Congress gave up island” was a favourite headline— Times Now spoke frequently of “Katchatheevu hypocrisy” of the DMK and NDTV 24×7 asked if the Congress “gave away” the island.
India Today, CNN News 18 and Times Now debated the controversy at prime time where the “political relevance” of the issue was discussed thoroughly. However, there was an implicit belief in the anchors’ comments that the BJP claims that the Congress gifted away the island and the DMK “secretly” agreed to it. Navika Kumar of Times Now said that India “relinquished” the island. And CNN News 18’s Zakka Jacob said that the issue could help BJP win five to six seats in Tamil Nadu.
The author tweets @shailajabajpai. Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)
Most TV news are Modi Bhakts.