Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh speaks during the ‘Sindhi Samaj Sammelan’, in New Delhi, on November 23, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday (November 23, 2025) asserted that while Sindh is no longer part of India geographically, it remains an integral part of India’s civilisational heritage.
Speaking at a community event, he said, “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.”
Referring to senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, himself born in Sindh, Singh said Advani had written about how Sindhi Hindus of his generation never fully 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 quoted.
Singh reiterated that people of Sindhi origin would “always remain our own, no matter where they live.”
Plight of minorities
The Defence Minister also spoke at length about the plight of minorities in neighbouring countries. He said these communities had suffered violence, forced conversions and displacement, and criticised past “appeasement-seeking governments” for denying them proper rehabilitation in India.
“Those who truly deserved compassion were not given the rights they needed,” he said. Singh added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi understood their suffering, which led to the introduction of the Citizenship Amendment Bill.
He noted that the government had permitted persecuted minorities from neighbouring nations to stay in India “without passports till 2024, enabling them to live with dignity.”
Singh recalled the Supreme Court’s 2005 ruling upholding the inclusion of the word “Sindh” in the national anthem, saying the decision reaffirmed the cultural and civilisational importance of the region irrespective of current boundaries.
He also criticised the Congress leadership during Partition, saying it ignored the security concerns of Hindus in Sindh and discouraged their migration to India.
Calling Sindhis descendants of the Indus Valley civilisation, he said it was “unacceptable” that such a community lived as “second-class citizens” for decades after Partition.
The Defence Minister praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for supporting Sindhi Hindus during the tumultuous years following Partition, including providing self-defence training.
Concluding his address, Singh urged the community to continue contributing to India’s cultural and economic progress. He wished them a bright future and assured the government’s continued support.
Published – November 23, 2025 09:34 pm IST
