Jammu, July 19, 2025, ANB, Digital;
In a sharp rebuke to Pakistan-backed terrorism, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Manoj Sinha on Saturday said the termination of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) is a “befitting response” to Pakistan's continued proxy war against India. He was speaking at the launch of journalist-author Sant Kumar Sharma’s monograph “Indus Water Treaty Mirroring the Facts” in Jammu.
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “decisive and historic” step to exit the decades-old treaty, LG Sinha remarked, “India has made it clear that blood and water cannot flow together, terror and talk cannot go together, and terror and trade cannot happen together.”
The decision to terminate the treaty, he said, comes in the wake of the Pakistan-sponsored Pahalgam terror attack and signals a major strategic shift. “The Indus Water Treaty was a historical blunder. It was one-sided, unfair, and hindered the infrastructure development of Jammu & Kashmir,” he asserted.
With the treaty now void, India gains full rights over the Jhelum and Chenab rivers. “This landmark decision will allow Jammu & Kashmir to realize its true hydropower potential, irrigate barren areas in Jammu, and build new reservoirs and power projects that will drive regional development,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He added that the Union Government is committed to building necessary infrastructure and channeling river waters for domestic use. “India’s water will now flow in India, for India,” he emphasized.
*Justice for Terror Victims*
Apart from the strategic and developmental implications, LG Sinha also addressed issues of justice for victims of terrorism in the Union Territory. “No terror victim family will be left behind. FIRs are being filed, and properties of victims that were illegally occupied by terrorists or their sympathisers will be vacated in August,” he announced.
The Lieutenant Governor paid tribute to the civilians martyred in the recent Pahalgam attack, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to support affected families through jobs, financial aid, and legal redress.
*Dignitaries Present*
The book launch was attended by the author Sant Kumar Sharma, Anuradha Sharma, Ashok Bhan (Member, Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board), Prof. B.K. Kuthiala (former VC, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University), Zorawar Singh Jamwal (Chairman, Team Jammu), as well as senior officials, journalists, and literary figures.
The monograph offers a detailed look into the historical context, implications, and policy failures of the Indus Water Treaty, and places the recent developments in a national security and developmental perspective. ANB
