Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday recalled a remark by former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, saying the borders are not permanent and that "who knows, tomorrow Sindh may return to India again."
Sindh region, known as the homeland of the Sindhi people, has been a significant part of India's civilisation and was also the centre of the Indus Valley Civilisation. The region became part of Pakistan with the partition in 1947.
Addressing the Sindhi Samaj Sammelan Program in Delhi, Rajnath Singh said, "This is Advani'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 again."
Rajnath Singh also highlighted the cultural significance of the region in Indian civilisation.
Further quoting Advani, he said that many Hindus still have not accepted the separation of Sindh from India.
“Not just in Sindh, but throughout India, Hindus considered the Indus River sacred. Many Muslims in Sindh also believed that the water of the Indus was no less sacred than the Aab-e-Zamzam of Mecca," he said.
"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 added.
Rajnath Singh also spoke about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), highlighting its necessity to protect the minority communities in neighbouring countries who faced violence.
Singh said the Hindu community that deserved help was ignored, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi understood their pain. He added that this is why the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was introduced.
"A special class of people coming from neighbouring countries was given refuge. But the people of this Hindu community, who truly deserved it, were not given the rights they deserved. Their suffering was not understood with compassion. But if anyone understood this pain, it was our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That is why we introduced the Citizenship Amendment Bill," Singh said.
(With inputs from ANI)