The small, uninhabited island of Katchatheevu—located in the ecologically rich Palk Bay between India and Sri Lanka—has once again emerged as a point of heated debate. In this episode of The Gist by StratNews Global, hosted by veteran journalist, Ramananda Sengupta, featuring Professor Arup K. Chatterjee (O.P. Jindal Global University), author of Adam’s Bridge: The Sacrality, Performance, and Heritage of an Oceanic Marvel, offers a detailed and historically informed perspective on Katchatheevu’s past, present, and future.
Professor Chatterjee carefully retraces the geo-historical importance of Katchatheevu. Though often reduced to a political issue, the island—barely 285 acres and devoid of drinking water—has long been tied to broader geopolitical concerns in the Indian Ocean. It is closely connected to Adam’s Bridge (also known as Ram Setu), the mythical and geological formation that links Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu to Talaimannar in Sri Lanka.
Historically, Katchatheevu was part of the Ramnad Zamindari in Tamil Nadu and remained under Indian possession until the 1974 Indo-Sri Lanka maritime agreement, which awarded it to Sri Lanka. The term “awarded,” as Chatterjee insists, is more historically and diplomatically accurate than simply saying it was “given away.” This transfer, reinforced by a second agreement in 1976, allowed for Indian fishermen and pilgrims to continue accessing the island, especially during the annual St. Anthony’s Church Festival, a site of local devotion.
According to Chatterjee, Katchatheevu is a minor piece of land but a major site of political symbolism. It is also tied to the unrealized Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project, a navigational route that has faced strong resistance from environmental groups in both India and Sri Lanka due to the fragile coral ecosystems of the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar.
Perhaps the most pressing concern today, he argues, is not merely the historical or political dimensions of the island but the environmental crisis unfolding in the Palk Bay. With over 4,000 marine species, including endangered coral islands, the region is under constant ecological threat due to unsustainable fishing practices, particularly trawling. These practices have increased the tension between Indian fishermen and the Sri Lankan Navy, especially since the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009.
What emerges from this conversation is the idea that Katchatheevu must be reimagined not as a lost territory, but as part of a shared ecological and cultural heritage. Chatterjee urges both nations to listen more carefully to civil society voices, particularly environmentalists, rather than letting political rhetoric dictate the narrative. He highlights the need for a global, multilateral conversation around island disputes—much like those resolved between Argentina and Chile or Malaysia and Singapore.
The video discussion ends on a thoughtful note: the agreements signed in 1974 and 1976, while not perfect, were examples of international diplomacy at its best, offering both nations a chance to cooperate over shared waters. Their failure lies not in intention but in the lack of enforcement over time. To move forward, both India and Sri Lanka must return to the spirit of cooperation, focusing on the environment, fishing rights, and humanitarian concerns.
In the age of climate change and biodiversity collapse, Katchatheevu is more than a disputed island—it is a symbol of transnational ecological responsibility.
Arup K. Chatterjee 