India's Stand on The Indus Treaty is Historically & Morally Justified. Here’s why?

When a nation's blood is spilled by the hands of its neighbor, does it still owe that neighbor the sacred gift of water? Should life-sustaining rivers flow unchecked into the land of those who repeatedly violate peace and territorial integrity? When history demands justice, should sentimentality override sovereignty?

The recent terror attack in Pahalgam, fueled and orchestrated by elements from across the border, has reignited a critical debate: Should India continue to honor the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan? The answer, rooted deeply in the principles of history, Dharma, and realpolitik, is clear. India must act. And history is firmly on India's side.

Historical Precedents: Water as a Sacred but Conditional Gift

1. The Mahabharata & Water as a Political Tool:
   During Yudhishthira's Rajasuya Yajna, kingdoms that refused peaceful allegiance were subjected to strategic blockades. Bhima's eastern campaigns effectively restricted access to rivers and trade routes for recalcitrant states like Suhma and Sumala. Water access was never unconditional. When Dharma was violated, resources were leveraged to restore order.
    
2. The Rigvedic Battle of the Ten Kings:
   The famous Dasarajna war, fought along the banks of the Sarasvati River, was not merely a clash of armies. It was a battle for the control of vital river systems. King Sudas, victorious over rival tribes, denied them access to the fertile banks, forcing migration and political submission. Water and security were inseparable.
    
3. Kautilya's Arthashastra on Resource Warfare:
   Kautilya, the master strategist, advised kings to control rivers, lakes, and wells to dominate enemies without direct conflict. Depriving adversaries of vital resources, when done righteously, was considered not an act of aggression but of wise governance.
    
4. The Mauryan Empire's Diplomacy:
   Under Chandragupta Maurya, strategic control of irrigation channels and water sources was integral to empire-building. Agreements with adversaries were conditional, and violations led to resource restrictions, not endless concessions.

The Indus Treaty & Pakistan: A One-Sided Compassion

Since 1960, India has honored the Indus Water Treaty with remarkable generosity, allowing Pakistan to utilize a lion's share of the Indus basin waters. This has persisted despite wars, cross-border terrorism, and repeated violations of peace.

In the wake of the brutal Pahalgam attack, India's patience is not just strained; it is at a moral crossroads. Continuing to supply vital resources to a nation that funds violence against Indian civilians defies both historical precedent and contemporary logic.

Why India's Reconsideration Is Justified

• Moral Right:
  Just as ancient India withheld water from those who broke treaties and waged unjust wars, modern India has the moral right to reassess its commitments when its peace is repeatedly assaulted.
   
• Strategic Necessity:
  Resource diplomacy is an essential tool of modern statecraft, recognized worldwide. The selective control of river flows is a legitimate response to existential threats.
   
• Historical Continuity:
  India's civilization has always upheld Dharma — but Dharma is not blind appeasement. It demands the protection of the righteous and the penalizing of the wicked.

Waters Must Reflect Justice, Not Weakness

India's approach must evolve from idealistic benevolence to pragmatic sovereignty. Just as Bhima, Sudas, Kautilya, and Chandragupta wielded water as a means of securing peace and punishing betrayal, so too must modern India act decisively. The sanctity of rivers cannot be allowed to become an instrument of self-harm.

Final Reflections: Choosing Strength Over Sentiment

Can India, the heir of a civilization that revered both rivers and righteousness, afford to watch its goodwill turned into a weapon against itself? Should a nation that commands the wisdom of millennia surrender its strategic advantage in the face of perpetual betrayal? When will India match its patience with proportionate action?

The time has come to align India's flowing rivers with its flowing blood — not in violence, but in justice. The message must be clear: Peace is rewarded with abundance; betrayal is met with consequence.