'Borders can change, Sindh may return to India again': Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Sunday, referring to a quote by former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, said that borders can change and “who knows, tomorrow Sindh may return to India again.” The Sindh region, known as the homeland of the Sindhi people, has been a significant part of India’s civilisational heritage. It was also the centre of the Indus Valley Civilisation. The region became part of Pakistan in the 1947 Partition.

Addressing the Sindhi Samaj Sammelan Programme in the national capital, Rajnath Singh said, “This is Advani’s (Lal Krishna Advani) quote. Today, the land of Sindh may not be a part of India, but civilisationally, Sindh will always be a part of India. And as far as land is concerned, borders can change. Who knows, tomorrow Sindh may return to India again.”

He also highlighted the cultural significance of the Sindh region in Indian civilisation. He added that Many Muslims in Sindh believed that the water of the Indus was no less sacred than the Aab-e-Zamzam of Mecca “I’d also like to mention the Lal Krishna Advani here. He wrote in one of his books that Sindhi Hindus, especially those of his generation, still haven’t accepted the separation of Sindh from India. Not just in Sindh, but throughout India, Hindus considered the Indus River sacred. Many Muslims in Sindh also believed that the water of the Indus was no less sacred than the Aab-e-Zamzam of Mecca,” he said.

“Our people of Sindh, who hold the Indus River sacred, will always be our own. No matter where they are, they will always be ours,” he added.

Rajnath Singh also spoke about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), highlighting its necessity to protect the minority communities in neighbouring countries who faced violence.

Singh said the Hindu community that deserved help was ignored, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi understood their pain. He added that this is why the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was introduced.

Singh said, “...Minority communities in many neighbouring countries have been suffering for years. Their homes were burned, their children were killed, their daughters were subjected to cruelty and torture, and people were forcibly converted. When many of them somehow managed to escape and come to India, the treatment meted out to them by appeasement-seeking governments cannot be condemned enough. They were humiliated simply to appease the vote bank of a particular community.”

“A special class of people coming from neighbouring countries was given refuge. But the people of this Hindu community, who truly deserved it, were not given the rights they deserved. Their suffering was not understood with compassion. But if anyone understood this pain, it was our Prime Minister Narendra Modi...That is why we introduced the Citizenship Amendment Bill,” Singh added.