When PoK Says 'Main Bhi Bharat Hoon' — A Moment for Caution, Strategy and Responsibility

Hearing Defence Minister Rajnath Singh repeat that one-line — “PoK will be ours on its own… PoK itself will say, ‘Main bhi Bharat hoon’” — stirred something in me that is at once proud and uneasy. He made those remarks during an interaction with the Indian community in Morocco, a comment reported widely by the press Big News Network and picked up in other outlets as well Times of India.

Words like this matter. They are meant to reassure a domestic audience, to project resolve, and to keep alive a national narrative. But they also carry consequences — for diplomacy, for people living across a disputed line, and for the moral account a nation keeps with itself.

What the remark signals — and why it matters

On one level the statement is straightforward political rhetoric: a confident assertion that territorial justice will come without the need for violent conquest. That message echoes earlier debates about Operation Sindoor and questions about whether opportunities to press military advantage were missed — points that surfaced after the action in May and have been widely discussed in public fora Big News Network.

But language that speaks of inevitable “return” also amplifies expectations among citizens and veterans, and raises the stakes for policymakers. It moves public sentiment from aspiration to perceived imminence, which constrains the space for patient diplomacy and careful statecraft.

A personal reflection: pride tempered by prudence

I feel pride when India’s leaders speak with conviction about our territorial integrity. Yet I also remember that confident words demand responsible follow-through. If PoK is to “say” it belongs with India, that outcome must be rooted in the lived consent of people there or in a sustainable legal-diplomatic resolution — not only in slogans.

Too often, powerful rhetoric has led democracies into costly paths because the follow-up planning was tactical rather than strategic. We must avoid conflating moral certainty with political or military feasibility.

What reclaiming PoK would truly require — beyond headlines

If the objective is not a quick, headline-grabbing military operation but a durable reunification of sentiment and governance, the following elements matter:

• Diplomacy before drama: Quiet, sustained engagement with multilateral partners, and careful management of international law narratives.
• Listening to lives, not just slogans: Creating channels to hear and address the aspirations and grievances of people living in PoK — their education, economy, mobility and civil rights.
• Soft power and human ties: Cultural exchange, broadcasting, credible information flows and humanitarian linkages can be more persuasive over time than coercion.
• Preparedness for responsibilities: Reintegrating land and people involves governance, development, and legal clarity. We must plan for immediate and long-term humanitarian needs.
• Clear civilian oversight of any operations: Parliamentary and judicial scrutiny to ensure actions reflect national interest, not temporary political advantage.

Practical steps I believe India should prioritise

• Strengthen international legal and diplomatic postures while avoiding escalatory public declarations that box policymakers into narrow choices.
• Expand cross-border people-to-people initiatives where possible — medical camps, educational scholarships, and information access — to build goodwill among ordinary citizens.
• Invest in Jammu & Kashmir’s civilian infrastructure and governance models that can serve as visible demonstrations of the benefits of stable administration.
• Create a transparent, non-partisan oversight mechanism that reviews defence operations and their political objectives, so any tactical success is measured against strategic outcomes.
• Prepare a public narrative that explains the cost, complexity and ethical responsibilities of territorial reclamation — honest conversations build resilient consensus.

A final thought

National pride and strategic patience must travel together. When a senior leader says, “Main bhi Bharat hoon,” the phrase should prompt not only applause but also an audit of how we will responsibly realize that aspiration — ensuring that outcomes respect rights, law, and the human realities on the ground.

Victory that arrives without a plan for justice, governance and reconciliation is an uncertain victory. If we truly want PoK to become part of India in any meaningful, lasting way, we must pair our confidence with humility: humility to engage, to listen, and to plan for the hard, humane work that follows any change in borders.

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Regards,
Hemen Parekh