Amidst the chaos, keep your compass true: Part I

When the Water Stops Flowing : Rewriting the Indus Narrative .

- By: Rachna Bura

Few realise that the Indus Waters Treaty was not merely a diplomatic accord—it was a lifeline extended by India to its most hostile neighbour. It allowed Pakistan to sustain parity during the early years when both nations were agrarian. Ironically, it was India's own benevolence that kept an adversary economically viable, only to be troubled by the same in return.

Today, as foreign grants prop up Pakistan's ailing economy, New Delhi finds itself haunted by the consequences of generosity misplaced. When aid becomes entitlement, expectation turns into right—and this is precisely the sentiment fermenting across the border.

As the Kharif (sugarcane and rice) season looms under water stress, Phase Two of Operation Sindoor could well be triggered—not by a missile, but by the turn of a tap. It becomes a choice between Brah-Mos and Water—a battle of strategy over sentiment, where water may prove to be more decisive than warheads.

Economists may favour water less costly than missiles but true strategists know that enduring peace (or decisive dominance) comes only through bold, even ruthless choices.