Abrogate Indus Water Treaty

Making of treaties and laws is not new to mankind and also the abrogation and repeal of laws when they are outdated and do not serve the interests of the nation. The recent examples are Brexit by Britain and MTF by America. Similarly, the time has come for India also to do so with Indus Waters Treaty.

The Indus Waters Treaty came into existence from first of April 1960 for the sharing of Indus waters namely, the Eastern Rivers means the Sutlej, the Beas, and the Ravi and the Western Rivers means the Indus, the Jhelum and Chenab rivers. This was totally one-sided agreement which is more favoured to Pakistan than India though all the rivers first enter into India.

Article II (1) says 'All the waters of the eastern Rivers shall be available for the unrestricted use of India, except and otherwise expressly provided in this article, thereby several conditions were imposed on India. On the other hand, Article III(1) says "Pakistan shall receive for unrestricted use of all those waters of Western Rivers which India is under obligation to let flow under the provisions of paragraph (2).

Para 2, imposes an obligation to let flow all the waters of western rivers, and shall not permit any interferences with these waters...etc., It's an unjust and unfair treaty. It only favoured Pakistan.
The Preamble of the treaty clearly amplifies that the treaty was entered 'in a spirit of goodwill and friendship'. The moot question is whether any spirit of goodwill and friendship still remained between India and Pak. The answer would be affirmative NO.

Pakistan has been sponsoring terrorism for the last 30 years and responsible for sever terrorist attacks in India. Keeping in view of the barbarian conduct and deceptive nature of Pakistan it would be height of insanity to allow this treaty to continue any further. It requires consent of both parties to make any amendments.

In view of the changed relations the treaty deserves to be re-examined in the light of "goodwill and friendship" between India and Pak. Article XII of the treaty declares that Preamble is part of the Treaty. Hence, it is the rightful duty of the government of India to abrogate the Indus Water Treaty, 1960.

Prof S Surya Prakash, Visakhapatnam