Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday invoked BJP veteran L K Advani’s reflections on Sindh’s deep civilisational ties with India, telling a Sindhi community gathering in New Delhi that “borders can change” and that “tomorrow Sindh may return to India”, PTI reported.
Citing Advani’s writings, Singh said Sindhi Hindus of his generation had never fully accepted the Partition that placed Sindh — historically linked to the Indus River, revered by both Hindus and many Muslims — in Pakistan. “Today the land of Sindh may not be part of India, but civilisationally it will always remain so,” he said, quoting Advani.
“Advani ji wrote in one of his books that Sindhi Hindus, especially those of his generation, still haven’t accepted the matter of separation of Sindh from India”.
“Not just in Sindh, but throughout India, Hindus considered the Indus River (Sindhu in Hindi) sacred. Many Muslims in Sindh also believed that the water of the Indus was no less sacred than the Aab-e-Zamzam (holiest of the waters) of Mecca.”
“This is Advani ji’s quote. Today, the land of Sindh may not be a part of India, but civilisationally, Sindh will always be a part of India. And as far as land is concerned, borders can change. Who knows, tomorrow Sindh may return to India. Our people of Sindh, who hold the Indus River sacred, will always be our own; no matter where they are, they will always be ours,” he said.
Singh, however, did not mention the title of the book he was referring to.
Advani, born in 1927 in Karachi, had often expressed sorrow that his birthplace was no longer within India, once remarking that the country felt “incomplete without Sindh”.
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Singh noted that although the Indus and the entire Sindh province lie across the border, the cultural significance of Sindhu, Sindh and the Sindhi community “remains as strong as thousands of years ago”. He added that the national anthem’s reference — “Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Maratha” — continues to reflect this enduring connection.
Pakistan was created as a result of the 1947 Partition of then-undivided India, and the Sindh region near the river Indus has been part of Pakistan since then.
(With Inputs from PTI)