Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake visiting Katchatheevu by naval boat on September 2, 2025. His trip – became headline news across India, with coverage ranging from factual reports on sovereignty to fiery local commentary.
National Print and Online Coverage
Indian national dailies and websites reported President Dissanayake’s unannounced Katchatheevu visit prominently, often linking it to India–Sri Lanka relations and Tamil Nadu politics. The Hindu broke the story, noting the President made a “quick, unannounced visit” to the island after vowing to safeguard Sri Lanka’s “seas and islands” and resist “external pressure”
Its report by Meera Srinivasan highlighted that the “apparent reference to Katchatheevu” in Dissanayake’s speech drew immediate attention in Tamil media, following actor-turned-politician Vijay’s demand at a Madurai rally that India retrieve the island.
The Times of India’s coverage struck a similar tone: “Katchatheevu row: Sri Lankan president ‘inspects’ island; makes unscheduled visit days after actor-politician Vijay’s remarks” read its headline.
TOI detailed how Dissanayake’s “inspection” came just after Vijay’s speech urging “Retrieve Katchatheevu… for our fishermen’s safety”, and it quoted Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath dismissing Vijay’s call as election “rhetoric,” while firmly reaffirming “Katchatheevu belongs to Sri Lanka”
India Today’s report also underscored Colombo’s hard stance. It emphasized that the visit followed Vijay’s remarks and that Sri Lanka was “firmly asserting its sovereignty amid renewed political debate in Tamil Nadu”. The piece noted President Dissanayake’s declaration that Katchatheevu is an “integral part” of Sri Lanka and his pledge to “protect our land, islands, [and] sea… for future generations”
Some outlets provided analysis alongside news. The Tribune (Chandigarh) ran an editorial titled “Signal from a Lankan island,” interpreting Dissanayake’s trip as a calculated message to India and Tamil Nadu.
It observed that the President, accused by critics of being “too soft on India,” had now shown he can “stand up for Sri Lanka’s interests” by visibly marking Sri Lankan territory[8]. The Tribune recapped the 1970s Indo-Lanka agreements that ceded Katchatheevu and bluntly argued Tamil Nadu leaders often perpetuate the “illusion” that taking back the island would solve fishermen’s woes.
In contrast, The New Indian Express and other national outlets carried straightforward news updates. Their reports noted the historic first-ever presidential visit and Colombo’s resolve not to “yield to external pressure” on the Katchatheevu issue, while acknowledging the political backdrop of upcoming Tamil Nadu elections and decades-old fishing disputes.
Televised Coverage and Commentary
Television and digital news platforms in India widely covered the Katchatheevu visit, each with its own focus. NDTV broadcast the story with the headline “Sri Lanka President Visits Katchatheevu Island, Vows To Protect Territory.” The channel highlighted that Dissanayake became the “first Lankan head of state to visit the island” and stressed his commitment to safeguarding Sri Lanka’s territory.
NDTV correspondent J. Sam Daniel Stalin’s report provided rich context: it explained Katchatheevu’s history as the 1.9 sq km islet ceded to Sri Lanka in the 1970s, and noted how Tamil Nadu leaders (from CM M.K. Stalin to actor Vijay) have been urging its retrieval, especially with state elections looming. NDTV underscored the human angle too – reminding viewers that over the decades “more than a thousand” Indian fishermen have been killed or injured in maritime clashes– and pointed out that Dissanayake’s “symbolic, assertive visit” has made Katchatheevu “once again the centre of political and diplomatic discussions”
Republic TV, known for its combative panels, took a more politicized angle. In prime-time debates, Republic dubbed the visit a “Katchatheevu flashpoint” and said the Lankan President’s move had “reignited the DMK–BJP–Congress blame game.”
The channel’s segments focused on how Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK and the BJP-led Centre traded barbs over the Katchatheevu issue after Vijay’s provocative remarks. For instance, anchors noted that DMK’s M.K. Stalin has long blamed Prime Minister Modi’s government for inaction, while BJP spokespersons retaliated that it was Congress (allied with the DMK) that “callously gave away” the island in 1974.
India Today’s television coverage (and its online video reports) leaned more toward explaining the development. An India Today TV explainer outlined why Katchatheevu has become a hot-button topic – touching on Tamil fishermen’s hardships and Vijay’s entry into politics – and noted Sri Lanka’s stern response that the island is “not for sale, not for surrender”.
Overall, TV coverage ranged from factual reportage (NDTV, India Today) to opinion-driven talk shows (Republic) that amplified the political rhetoric around Dissanayake’s trip.
Tamil Nadu Media and Local Reactions
In Tamil Nadu, regional media and politicians reacted strongly, with coverage reflecting local sentiments and concerns. Leading Tamil newspapers gave front-page attention to the Katchatheevu visit.
Daily Thanthi (Dina Thanthi), the state’s largest Tamil daily, ran a bold headline in Tamil proclaiming: “Katchatheevu will not be given up under any circumstances; Sri Lankan President firm”. Its report noted that no Sri Lankan head of state had ever set foot on Katchatheevu before, and described how President Dissanayake, after launching projects in Jaffna, suddenly took a naval boat to the island and spent over an hour there.
Daily Thanthi prominently quoted Dissanayake’s assertive words to Sri Lankan naval officers and fishermen on the island: “Katchatheevu is our land…belongs to our people… It’s my responsibility to protect it. We will not give up Katchatheevu for any reason,” he said, drawing a firm line against India’s retrieval calls.
The same paper (in a Tamil Nadu news section) featured reactions like that of CPI state secretary R. Mutharasan, who condemned Dissanayake’s remarks. Mutharasan argued the President’s speech “will not strengthen India–Sri Lanka relations. Rather, it has angered the people of Tamil Nadu,” calling the stance the “height of arrogance” and urging New Delhi to respond.
Other Tamil-language outlets echoed the theme. Dinamalar, another major daily, reminded readers of Sri Lanka’s foreign minister stating that discussing Katchatheevu during Tamil Nadu election season is a common political ploy, implying Dissanayake’s visit was meant to blunt those demands.
Tamil TV news channels – like Sun News, Polimer and Puthiya Thalaimurai – ran extensive segments (often in animated debates) on the issue. They highlighted Tamil Nadu fishermen’s plight and replayed Vijay’s fiery quote: “Retrieve Katchatheevu at least now… that would be enough,” which had stirred this controversy.
These regional channels also reported on Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s stance, recalling that the Tamil Nadu Assembly had passed a resolution urging the Indian government to work for Katchatheevu’s return.
Editorials and opinion pieces in Tamil outlets argued that reclaiming the island is essential to protect fishermen, even as they acknowledged the central government in New Delhi has shown no sign of taking such a step in reality.
Differing tones and political fallout
Notably, Indian media also highlighted diplomatic nuances. Several reports pointed out that New Delhi had yet to officially react to the visit, suggesting it was being treated cautiously as Sri Lanka’s internal matter.
The Indian Express observed that India’s Ministry of External Affairs had previously termed the Katchatheevu accord a settled issue, even as Tamil Nadu politicians keep it alive for local politics (this context was implied in multiple reports).
At the same time, The Tribune’s editorial and similar columns implicitly advised calm, reasoning that “speeches made from election platforms” in Tamil Nadu should not be taken at face value by Colombo and that Sri Lanka asserting ownership of the islet was expected.
In contrast, Tamil outlets and leaders like Mutharasan warned that Colombo’s aggressive posture – e.g. threatening that arrested Indian fishermen “will not be released easily” and seized boats “won’t be returned”– was unacceptable and provocative.
Overall, President Dissanayake’s Katchatheevu visit generated extensive coverage in India that mirrored the fault lines of the issue itself. While national outlets highlighted the reaffirmation of Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and the factual developments of the visit, Tamil Nadu’s media and political class seized on it as fodder for an emotive campaign about fishermen’s rights and Tamil pride. (Newswire)
