RSS welcomes Indus Treaty suspension, travel curbs on Pakistan; says long overdue
New Delhi’s retaliatory measures were decided at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Narendra Modi a day after the brazen attack in Pahalgam
New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Wednesday welcomed the Union government’s decision to suspend the World Bank-brokered Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan and to impose travel restrictions on Pakistani nationals in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam.
New Delhi’s retaliatory measures were decided at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a day after the brazen attack, during which terrorists killed 26 tourists and injured several others at a meadow near Pahalgam town in Jammu and Kashmir.
The RSS, the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), that has long advocated for a recalibration of India’s foreign policy in light of recurring terror attacks, described India’s decision to downgrade diplomatic ties with Pakistan as “long overdue.”
“India was not obliged to give water to Pakistan. It did so as a goodwill gesture and Pakistan in turn continued to indulge in terror activities against India. This step (of putting the treaty in abeyance) is welcome and long overdue,” Ashwani Mahajan, co-convenor of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an offshoot of the RSS, said.
Also Read: Pahalgam terror attack: What is Indus Waters Treaty?
The Indus river system is critical for both countries, particularly for Pakistan, where agriculture relies heavily on its waters. A suspension of water sharing under the treaty could have devastating consequences for drinking water availability and cropping, given the impact of climate change on the Indus River basin.
Modi’s ties with world leaders has positioned India as a strong presence against terror, a senior RSS functionary said, requesting anonymity.
“This is just the beginning. There will be more stringent action against terror activities and those who sponsor them. The response from countries such as USA, Russia is an indication that India’s diplomatic actions will receive support globally,” he said.
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RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has in the past pushed for “accelerating” the process of “emotional integration” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. He has also called for stepping up vigilance along borders from where intrusions and attacks have happened stealthily, including along the sea routes, and for ramping up internal security.
The BJP too hailed the decision to revisit diplomatic ties with Pakistan.
“This government means business and when our leaders say we have a zero-tolerance policy for terror, we walk the talk,” another senior party leader said, explaining that anger against terrorism is palpable in people and the demand for “retribution” is not just limited to the BJP’s core votebank, but is “the demand of a billion Indians.”
Also Read: Pahalgam attack victim’s father meets Amit Shah, shares chilling details: ‘Terrorists asked…’
The leader said for years India that the rights over river waters from three rivers flowing through J&K and three rivers in Punjab has been giving Pakistan water. “However, in turn Pakistan fostered terror against us...Now, the common man was stern action and a befitting response and that is what the government is doing,” the leader said.
Brokered by the World Bank, which is also a signatory, the treaty sets out a mechanism for water sharing and information exchange between the two nuclear-armed neighbours for the use of the Indus river water and its five tributaries Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab.
