When GOI took the historical and unprecedented decision of the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 post Pahalgam terrorist attack, I am reminded of the good old days of 1951 after the independence of the nation when India government asked Pakistani high commission to send India twelve ounces of Sindu-Indus water for use in the re-consecration and purification of Somnath temple Gujarat. The Pak high commission arranged twelve ounces of Sindu water for Pakistan for the consecration of the famous Soomnath temple and send it to India. The Indus Water Treaty has stood the test of time during three war with Pakistan, Kargil incursion, Uri attack and Pulwama attack ,but it has been suspended over the Pahalgam massacre.
It is pertinent to note that the twelve ounce of Indus/Sindu water from Pakistan landed the Nehru government in row and in a precarious situation and Nehru said that he was not aware of this water from Pakistan and ordered that in future any such thing should get the approval of the prime minister and he disapproves of that action of bringing a small quantity of Indus Water from Pakistan. Prime minister J.L.Nehru disapproved the bringing of Indus water from Shind river Pakistan for re-consecration purpose of Somnath temple ,but the 12 pounce of the Indus water from Pakistan had already come .In fact Indus water is central to Consecration ceremony of Somnath temple to the suspension of the Indus water treaty between India and Pakistan. Nehru thought that his fledging government’s secular credentials were at test and people will question the secular doctrine of the then Indian government. Nehru was a super secularist and in his scheme of secularism, Hindu sensitivities ,feelings and interests did not matter.
It is also in the fitness of things to mention that River Indus is connected with the great Indus valley civilization. Remember Somnath temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva was destroyed, looted and desecrated many times and some believe it was done 20 times by Muhammed Gaznavi and it is said that there were 18 doors to the original Somnath temple and Muhammed Gaznavi took these doors to Gaznavi and also got constructed a big masque with the foundation stone stolen from Somnath temple. When there was rule of Ranjit Singh in India ,this ruler extended boarders of the country and defeated Afghan ruler of that time and asked him to restore those 18 doors stolen to Gaznavi. The Afghan ruler of that time informed Ranjit Singh that all golden jewelries had been removed and stolen and there remained only wooden frames and the Afghan rulers got those 18 doors dispatched to India.
As there was no space in the Somnath temple, so these 18 wooden doors were kept in Golden temple premises complex in Amritsar. Nehru was not in favor of the construction of the Somnath temple and opposed its construction. It was the then home minister Sardar Patel and another minister M.K Munshi who embarked on the plan of construction of the Somnath temple much against the wishes of Nehru. The prime minister Nehru also did not agree to the plan of then president Dr Rajindera Prasad to visit Somnath ji temple at its inauguration, but he made a visit to the temple as for this purpose as Hindu .Such was the anti Hindu bias and virus in the first congress Prime minister Of India. The controversy over the use of Indus River water from Pakistan for the consecration of the Somnath temple in India during the early 1950,s is a compelling episode that weaves together religious symbolism, diplomatic negotiations ,and the secular principles of of the Indian state. The Somnath temple situated in Gujarat state holds immense religious importance in Sanatan Dharma. It had been destroyed and rebuild several rather many times throughout the history ,symbolizing the resilience and faith. After independence ,Sardar Valliabhbhai Patel ,India’s first deputy prime minister initiated the reconstruction of the temple in 1947.He was of the view that restoring Somnath would serve as a symbol of India’s cultural resurgence and national pride. The project was funded by public donations in accordance with Mathma Gandhi’s advice that the state should not finance religious endeavours. Thus a trust was founded to oversee the construction under K.M.Munshi.
PM Nehru a staunch secularist was apprehensive about government’s association with the temple’s reconstruction. He strongly believed and wrongly so that state involvement will in religious activities could undermine secularism which was dear to Nehru even at the cost of Hindu interests. Nehru even wrote letters to president Dr Rajindra Prasad not to participate in the inauguration ceremony of the temple. Despite Nehru’s objections, Prasad attended the ceremony in 1951, emphasizing that he was doing so in his personal capacity and not a representative of the state.
Simultaneously ,India and Pakistan were engaged in negotiations over the sharing of the Indus River waters, a critical resource for both countries. The IWT signed in 1960 ,allocated the three eastern rivers [ Ravi,Beas,Sutlej ] to India and the three rivers[Indus, Jehlum, and Chenab]to Pakistan. During the consecration of the Somnath temple, there was a proposal to collect water from various rivers, including the Indus ,to purify the temple. The gesture was intended to symbolize unity and the pan-Indian nature of the temple. However inclusion of Indus water,sourced from Pakistan ,became a contentious issue because of ongoing tension. Some political experts argued that using water from Pakistan ,especially amidst tensions and negotiations over Indus Water Treaty ,was inappropriate. Nehru was concerned that such actions could be perceived as the Indian state endorsing a particular religion, conflicting with the secular principles he championed.
Now after 65 years from the signing of the IWT between India and Pakistan, an extraordinary situation has arisen in the wake of the most gruesome terrorist attack in Pahalgam which cost us 26 lives of tourists including a local Muslim ,GOI decided to suspend the IWT to show Pakistan a lesson. Mind the IWT had survived three wars, Kargil incursion and the intense tensions between the two nations, but this time in an unprecedented move Indian government headed by PM Modi unilaterally announced the suspension of the TWT. It created a furor and resentment in Pakistan ,but Modi is determined to implement his decision of suspension of IWT.In short Indus water is central to the political developments in 1950-51 and today’s very tense situation created in the wake of Pahalgam terror in which Pakistan was involved and thus as a revenge suspension of Indus Water Treaty. Yes in 1950/51 after independence in the connection of re-consecration of Somnath temple only 12 ounce of water was sought and brought from Pakistan and it landed the secular credentials of Nehru government in question .The bringing of meager 12 ounce of Indus water from Pakistan created a flutter and row in Nehru government. Thus the 12 ounce of Indus water from Pakistan.

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