New Delhi, Feb. 7 -- Katchatheevu, once dismissed by Indira Gandhi as a "sheer rock with no strategic significance," has now become a hotspot of unrest in Palk Bay. This serves as a striking example of how a place initially deemed strategically unimportant can later transform into a contentious issue, straining the ties between two countries.

The use of force against Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy in Palk Bay, Park Strait, and the Gulf of Mannar is not a new phenomenon in the island nation. During the Mahinda Rajapaksa era, numerous Indian (Tamil) fishermen were killed in shootings by the Sri Lankan Navy. After a long gap, a similar episode has occurred under the National People's Power government (NPP), invigorating memories of...