Jammu, July 19: In a sharp critique of past diplomacy, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday termed the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) a “historic mistake” and hailed its termination as a decisive move that will not only checkmate Pakistan but also unlock Jammu and Kashmir’s full hydroelectric potential.
“India has made it clear—blood and water cannot flow together, terror and talks cannot go together, and terror and trade cannot happen together,” Sinha said, addressing a function in Jammu where he released the monograph Indus Water Treaty—Mirroring the Facts authored by veteran journalist Sant Kumar Sharma.
The LG lauded the author for presenting the historical truth behind the controversial treaty, which he said had long undermined the development potential of Jammu and Kashmir. “The decision to terminate the IWT, especially after the Pakistan-sponsored Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 innocent people, is both timely and justified,” he added.
Sinha said the step marks a “new beginning” for India and Jammu and Kashmir. “India’s water will now remain in India. We will fully control and utilise the waters of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers. This will help us irrigate barren areas in Jammu and provide a much-needed push to infrastructure and power development,” he asserted.
Calling the treaty “unfair and one-sided,” the LG cited Parliamentary debates from 1960 to argue that the IWT had handicapped J&K’s developmental aspirations for decades. “Now, with the shackles gone, we can create reservoirs, build diversion infrastructure, and set up power plants that will transform the economic landscape,” he said.
Sinha also took a firm stance on justice for victims of terrorism. Remembering the civilians martyred in the April 22 Pahalgam attack, he said their families will be given jobs, financial support, and justice. “Their properties, encroached upon by terrorists or their sympathisers, will be vacated. No family will be abandoned. No culprit will be spared,” he said with conviction.
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