by American Sikh Council

The recent catastrophic flooding in Punjab, South Asia, has reignited serious concerns about the Indian government’s handling—and alleged weaponization—of water resources. Both Indian and Pakistani Panjabs have faced devastating losses; submerged villages, ruined crops, collapsed infrastructure, and widespread displacement. However, evidence and credible voices point to systemic neglect, discriminatory policies, and politically motivated decisions by the Indian central government as the root causes of the crisis, especially in Indian Panjab.

Weaponization of Water:

Accusations of India using water as a tool of aggression are no longer speculative. Retired Indian Army commander Lt. Gen. KJS Dhillon openly stated that India withholds dam water until capacity is reached, then releases it suddenly as a “water bomb,” acknowledging it as a strategy that affects both Indian and Pakistani Panjabs.

A former Indian Army Major Gaurav Arya who is a proxy for the Hindutva brigade with over a million followers on social media has openly called for continued flooding of Panjab.

The American Sikh Council (ASC) Vice- President Dr. Manbir Singh stated, “We condemn these actions and inactions by the government there, as this is a deliberate targeting of Sikh farmers—who form the economic backbone of Punjab and all people living in that state.”

Pakistan’s Minister Ahsan Iqbal echoed similar concerns, accusing India of releasing water into rivers like the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab without timely warnings. He termed this act “water terrorism,” emphasizing that such releases threaten lives and livelihoods on both sides of the border. Following the collapse of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), India has refused to share hydrological data, raising fears of water being used as a geopolitical weapon.

Flood Mismanagement and Domestic Neglect:

The blame isn’t limited to cross-border politics. Within India, Panjab itself has been devastated. More than 1,900 villages were submerged, over 385,000 people were affected, and crops across 430,000 acres were destroyed. Despite this, the Indian central government has consistently neglected Punjab’s infrastructure and flood preparedness.

Manoj Tripathi a Brahmin, chairman of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), pointed fingers at the Panjab state government for not desilting rivers and failing to strengthen embankments. However, this claim diverts attention from deeper systemic issues: the centralization of water management, lack of federal cooperation, and the intentional economic weakening of Panjab through water misallocation.

Panjab receives disproportionately low water allocations despite being a primarily agrarian state producing over 11% of India’s food grain with only 1.5% of the land mass. The central government controls major dams and decides water flows, bypassing Panjab’s own needs and rights. Instead of empowering local authorities or ensuring equitable water distribution, Delhi continues to monopolize water decisions.

Historical and Structural Injustice:

Historically, Panjab has been stripped of its water rights. Post-partition, control over rivers and dams was centralized. Successive Indian governments, driven by political motives, diverted Panjab’s waters to neighboring states like Haryana and Rajasthan through biased tribunals and legislative amendments, most notably the Inter-State Water Disputes (Amendment) Act of 2001. Under this act, the central government became judge, jury, and executor in water matters, allowing it to twist data and decisions to its advantage.

Hydro engineer V.S. Mann’s detailed analysis highlights how Panjab’s economy, deeply tied to agriculture and canal irrigation, has been systematically crippled. Farmers, owning tiny plots of land, struggle under the dual pressure of reduced water access and rising input costs. This has caused tens of thousands of suicides, massive debt, and irreversible economic decline.

The Brahmin-dominated bureaucracy and judiciary, as noted in Mann’s critique, have shown consistent bias against Panjab’s majority Sikh farming population. Water tribunals, supposedly impartial, were packed with individuals (all Hindus) lacking expertise in hydro-engineering or agricultural economics, yet they passed decisions that destroyed Panjab’s farming potential.

Climate Crisis + Governmental Apathy:

Climate change has undeniably worsened the flooding, but the Indian government’s failure to modernize its water infrastructure or prepare for extreme weather is inexcusable. Dams like Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar are operating under outdated design assumptions. Their inability to handle excess rainfall results in emergency discharges that flood low-lying regions—first in Indian Panjab, then Pakistan.

Experts agree on one thing collectively, i.e., the infrastructure-built decades ago cannot accommodate today’s extreme monsoons. But instead of overhauling systems or empowering local disaster response, New Delhi’s bureaucratic inertia and political maneuvering continue to dominate water management.

Moreover, while India sends flood warnings to Pakistan “on humanitarian grounds,” it withholds crucial real-time data. This selective information-sharing undermines trust and cooperation, violating the principles of international treaties and basic decency during a crisis.

Environmental Neglect and Corruption:

Massive-scale environmental degradation—deforestation, unregulated construction, agro-industrial pollution—has compounded the crisis. Yet, Indian authorities consistently ignore calls for sustainable planning. Administrators lack accountability, and corruption is rampant. Desilting, embankment repair, drainage, and flood preparedness are underfunded or neglected altogether.

Cultural habits around littering and waste disposal have also contributed. Public spaces, rivers, and even pilgrimage sites are choked with trash, which blocks natural water flows and worsens flooding. The urban-rural divide has only deepened: poor farmers suffer the brunt while the political elite remain insulated.

Political Machinations:

The Indian political system is primarily run by the upper caste Hindu elite and has an inherent hate of the Sikhs. The politicians overwhelmingly, regardless of party leanings, have helped weaken the state of Panjab and particularly the minority Sikhs, since the foundation of modern India. States hold very few powers, since pretty much everything is centralized, except for a clever façade that the public never clearly understands. The center is run by the Hindu elites (permanent caste majority), of which the main puppeteers at the helm are Brahmins who are barely 3% of the Hindu population.

The emancipating ideology of the Sikhs is diametrically opposite to Brahminical Hinduism which has deep religious apartheid woven into it permanently. The revolutionary spirit of the Sikhs which can upend the social and political structure, is feared by the rulers.

Various ruling regimes have tried to annihilate the Sikhs. Starting with the long drawn-out Sikh Genocide from 1984 – 1998 where several hundred thousand young Sikh men were hunted and killed by the Indian government. They, then flooded the state with drugs with the help of law enforcement and when that was not enough, every few years the water from all the dams were suddenly released to decimate and cripple the population of Panjab and keep them subjugated.

There has been absolutely deafening silence from the Indian PM Modi in response to the man-made disaster in Panjab, since Aug 26, 2025, rather he is busy helping earthquake victims in Afghanistan. There has been no flood relief forthcoming, while Panjab’s chief minister Bhagvant Mann is pretending he is ill, so that he does not have to deal with his own incompetence. This extreme apathy by the rulers at the helm is a clear indication that Panjab and Sikhs in particular, are not considered part of India and continue to be treated as second-class citizens.

A Controlled Collapse:

The overall picture reveals not a natural disaster, but a man-made and centrally orchestrated collapse. From policy decisions to dam operations and infrastructure planning, the Indian government has repeatedly and knowingly acted against Panjab’s interests.

Water, a basic right and life-sustaining resource, has been politicized, weaponized, and commercialized. For Panjab, it has become a tool of oppression. Decades of central interference have left its farmers in despair, its economy in ruins, and its ecology on the verge of collapse.

While rescue efforts continue on the ground, all overwhelmingly being done by the people of Panjab themselves, with barely any government support. In fact the Sikh diaspora, has and continues to contribute with funds, while the real flood Panjab faces is one of perpetual injustice, exploitation, and governmental apathy.

• Views expressed are those of the author or issuing body and do not necessarily reflect those of Sikh Siyasat News.