Katchatheevu isn’t such a catch. Why border settlements need to serve India's interests

Why is BJP calling a 1974 Government of India decision to give up an uninhabited islet of 285 acres to Sri Lanka “a disgraceful act of statesmanship”? Katchatheevu has no productive value. Nothing grows on the sand bar except shrubs and palms. Historically, its ownership appears to have changed hands repeatedly. Yet, the allegation resonates decades later, with the BJP making it a poll issue.

The crux of the matter is that India has the third-longest land border in the world, running over 1,5000km, shared with seven countries. Its maritime limits adjoin even more neighbours. And since Independence, it has struggled to forge amicable settlements on delimiting these boundaries.