Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi
New Delhi, May 29: In a powerful reaffirmation of India’s stance on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that the people of PoK are part of the Indian family and will “voluntarily return” to India one day, moved by the voice of their conscience.
Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Business Summit in New Delhi, Singh made it clear that India’s approach to Pakistan has evolved, and any future dialogue with Islamabad would focus only on terrorism and PoK — signalling a hardened diplomatic posture.
"The people living in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are our own," Singh declared, adding, “They are our brothers and sisters, who are geographically and politically separated from us today. We have full faith that they will return to India’s mainstream, voluntarily, driven by their soul’s call.”
Singh’s remarks follow the Indian military’s recent precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, which targeted multiple terror camps across PoK and Pakistan. The strikes were seen as a firm retaliation to cross-border provocation, and a reflection of New Delhi’s redefined counter-terror strategy.
“India has redesigned and redefined its response to terrorism,” the Defence Minister asserted. “We no longer adopt a reactive stance — we act decisively.”
Addressing the people of Pakistan, Singh said, “India has always spoken about hearts connecting hearts. On the path of love, truth, and unity, the day will come when our own PoK will say — ‘I am India, and I have returned.’
He further cautioned Islamabad, saying the business of terrorism is no longer cost-effective. “Pakistan has now understood that such acts will come at a heavy price,” he said sternly, suggesting that India’s robust military and diplomatic actions have deterred cross-border adventurism.
Singh’s emotive outreach to PoK residents coupled with his hard-hitting message to Pakistan comes at a time of heightened regional tensions, but also amid growing international support for India’s anti-terror position.
Political analysts view the Defence Minister’s statement as part of a larger narrative shift — one that blends strategic restraint with assertive action, and emotional connect with geopolitical clarity.
As India’s foreign and defence policy continues to evolve, Singh’s words underline a clear message: PoK is not forgotten, and its people are not forsaken — they remain an inseparable part of India’s past, present, and future.