'Water and blood cannot flow together', says all-party Indian delegation in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur: An all-party parliamentary delegation visiting Malaysia has emphasised India’s zero tolerance to terrorism, asserting that 'water and blood cannot flow together', the Indian mission said on Monday.

The delegation, led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, met with representatives from Democratic Action Party led by YB M. Kula Segaran, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), and Parti Keadilan Rakyat in Malaysia and conveyed India's perspectives and national resolve against terrorism, the India High Commission in Malaysia posted on X.

"Discussions centred on India's resolute response to terrorism under Operation Sindoor. There was emphasis on India’s zero tolerance to terrorism, and the view that 'Water and blood cannot flow together'." it added.

The delegation's remarks were in the context of India suspending the Indus Waters Treaty following the Pahalgam terror attack. New Delhi has maintained that the treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan stops sponsoring terrorism.

Brokered by the World Bank, the 1960 treaty defines a mechanism for water sharing and information exchange between the two nuclear-armed neighbour nations for the use of the Indus River water and its five tributaries -- Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab.

The delegation held "constructive talks" with the representatives of Parti Keadilan Rakyat led by YB Sim Tze Tzin.

"India’s zero-tolerance approach to terrorism was outlined, reaffirming our national unity against cross-border threats," the mission said in another post.

"KEADILAN representatives appreciated the detailed explanation provided by the delegation and engaged in a constructive discussion on the way forward and responsibilities each nation has in fighting the menace of terrorism," it said.

It said the delegation also interacted with Deputy Minister of Unity YB Saraswathy Kandasami during the meeting with Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

The delegation underscored the country's principled and uncompromising stance of zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, a statement said.

In an interaction with the Indian diaspora here, the delegation conveyed India’s resolute stance against cross-border terrorism and emphasised that Operation Sindoor was a demonstration of India's right to respond, pre-empt, and deter future terrorist attacks.

Diaspora members, including voices from the Malaysian Indian Muslim community, unequivocally condemned terrorism, the statement said.

The delegation also visited the Ramakrishna Mission in Kuala Lumpur and paid floral tributes to the statue of Swami Vivekananda. It also visited the Panchavati prayer hall and the Nivedita House.

The team also interacted with a 15-member delegation of the National Defence College (NDC), New Delhi, which is currently undertaking a foreign country study tour to Malaysia, it said.

The team also visited Torana Gate, a gift from the people of India to Malaysia, which was inaugurated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country in 2015.

The Torana Gate in Little India, Kuala Lumpur, symbolises the unity and stands as a mark of strong and continued friendship between India and Malaysia, the embassy said.

Apart from Jha, the delegation includes MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Abhishek Banerjee, Brij Lal, John Brittas, Pradan Baruah, Hemang Joshi, former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, and former ambassador Mohan Kumar.

The delegation to Malaysia is one of the seven multi-party delegations India has tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community to emphasise Pakistan’s links to terrorism.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives.

India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7, following which Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions.

The on-ground hostilities ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.