PM Modi Asserts India's Right with Indus Water Treaty Suspension
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first public remarks following India's decision to suspend the decades-old Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, asserting India's rights over its water resources.
PM Modi Asserts India's Right with Indus Water Treaty Suspension
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made his first public remarks following India's decision to suspend the decades-old Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, asserting that water meant for India will now remain and be used within the country. Speaking at the ABP news event, the Prime Minister said, “Pehle Bharat ke haq ka paani bhi bahar ja raha tha...ab Bharat ka paani, Bharat ke haq mein bahega, Bharat ke haq mein rukega aur Bharat ke hi kaam aayega” (earlier, India's rightful share of water used to flow out, now, India's water will flow for India, stay for India, and serve India). The statement comes days after the government announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty - a landmark water-sharing agreement brokered by the World Bank and signed with Pakistan in 1960. The announcement came in the wake of a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 civilians.
India, which has raised the issue of cross-border terrorism on multiple occasions, decided to slap punitive measures against Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam attack. The decision to halt the treaty was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the government's highest decision-making body on national security. Officials have clarified that the suspension will remain in effect until Pakistan ends its support for cross-border terrorism.
This is the first time since the treaty's inception that India has officially paused its implementation - a significant shift in its diplomatic posture. Despite periodic calls for review over the years due to persistent tensions, the treaty had so far remained untouched.
Criticizing earlier governments for hesitation in taking tough decisions, PM Modi on Tuesday said, “There was a time when, before taking any essential step, people used to think what the world would think...they used to think whether they would get a vote, and whether their seat would be safe. Because of these reasons, major reforms were delayed. No country can move forward like this. The country moves forward when we keep the nation first.”
Published by: Poorva Joshi
Published on: May 6, 2025