New Delhi, Nov 24 ; Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday evoked former deputy prime minister L. K. Advani’s reflections on Sindh’s deep cultural and spiritual links with India, stating that while the region lies across the border today, its civilisational bond remains unbroken. Speaking at the Sindhi Samaj Sammelan in New Delhi, Singh quoted Advani and remarked that “tomorrow, Sindh may return to India.”
Singh recalled that Advani born in Karachi in 1927 before Partition had written about how generations of Sindhi Hindus never reconciled with the loss of Sindh to Pakistan in 1947.
“Advani ji wrote that Sindhi Hindus, especially those of his generation, have still not accepted Sindh’s separation from India,” he said.
Citing Advani further, Singh noted that the Indus River held sacred value not only for Hindus but also for many Muslims in Sindh, who believed its water was as holy as the Aab-e-Zamzam of Mecca. Singh stressed that these cultural ties transcend political borders, asserting: “Civilisationally, Sindh will always be a part of India.”
Referring again to Advani’s writings, the Defence Minister added: “Borders can change. Who knows, tomorrow Sindh may return to India. The people of Sindh who revere the Indus River will always remain our own.”
Singh also highlighted how the Partition redrew the geography of the Indus River, with much of it flowing into Pakistan after 1947, but insisted that the cultural legacy of “Sindhu, Sindh and Sindhi” remains embedded in India’s national consciousness. He pointed to its mention in the national anthem “Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Maratha” as a symbol of enduring connection.
Rajnath Singh Defends the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)
In the second part of his address, Singh strongly defended the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), describing it as a humanitarian measure designed to protect persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries.
He said that for years, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan endured violence, forced conversions and the loss of family members.
“When many of them fled to India, appeasement-driven governments did not treat them with compassion,” he said.
Singh argued that while certain migrant groups previously received refuge, persecuted Hindu communities were overlooked. “If anyone understood their pain, it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi… That is why we brought the Citizenship Amendment Bill,” he stated.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, provides a pathway to citizenship for migrants from specified communities who entered India before December 31, 2014. The law came into effect on January 10, 2020.