Tamil Nadu Opposition Wants Kachchatheevu Taken Back

Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu Monday demanded the government seek the return of the Kachchatheevu Island, given to Sri Lanka by Indian government in 1974.
They also sought immediate release of 12 fishermen and their boats detained by Sri Lanka last week and removal of floating mines in the waters between Kachchatheevu and Neduntheevu islands.
Sri Lanka planted the mines Jan 20 to prevent Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadre from fleeing the Jaffna peninsula to Tamil Nadu.
'The only solution to the repeated violation of Tamil Nadu's fishermen's rights is the takeover of Kachchatheevu (by India),' said D. Jayakumar of AIADMK, the main opposition party in the state.
MDMK, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (Dalit Panthers or the VCK) and Left parties also joined AIADMK in raising the issue in the assembly through a special calling attention notice.
The VCK urged India to 'nullify the Kachchatheevu agreement' and 'declare the area as an integral part of the Indian territory'.
Electricity and Rural Industries Minister Arcot Veerasamy told the assembly that steps 'were being taken for the early release of 12 fishermen from Rameswaram'. The Tamil Nadu government was in contact with the Sri Lankan consulate in Chennai on the issue.
The minister said he and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi have spoken to Union Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed to take up the issue with Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, in the port city of Rameswaram, more than a 1,000 mechanised fishing boats kept off the seas for the fourth consecutive day Monday as the fishermen were protesting the detention of their community members.
In a related development, the Congress party in the state, an ally of the ruling Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK), sought stern action against the parties supporting LTTE.
M. Krishnaswamy, president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) wrote to Karunanidhi that these parties and organisations 'make demeaning references to the Congress... Our senior leaders are deeply pained by these remarks. I request you to take stern action against those responsible for this', he said, without naming any party or organisation.