Claim
In November 1960 in the Lok Sabha, PM Nehru responded to criticism of the 80-20 water split by calling the questions narrow-minded and saying India was giving the water to establish peace; this is on the parliamentary record.
“नवंबर 1960... लोकसभा के अंदर तत्कालीन प्रधानमंत्री पंडित नेहरू ने कहा क्या हमारे हर कदम पर आकर पार्लियामेंट में पूछना पड़ेगा?... हम अपना पानी ऐसे ही नहीं दे रहे हैं। शांति स्थापित करने के लिए हम पानी दे रहे हैं।”▶ Watch source segment
Rationale
The core elements check out against multiple secondary sources drawing on the parliamentary record: the treaty was debated in the Lok Sabha on 30 November 1960; the split heavily favoured Pakistan (roughly 80% of basin waters via the western rivers vs ~20% for India), the basis of MPs' criticism; Nehru characterised that criticism as 'an exceedingly narrow-minded approach' and defended the deal as one that 'purchased peace' for both countries, and expressed irritation at being repeatedly questioned. The Hindi wording quoted on air is a paraphrase/translation rather than verbatim Hansard, but its substance—narrow-mindedness rebuke plus the 'giving water for peace' rationale on the parliamentary record—is well corroborated, so the claim is substantively accurate.
Evidence
- https://www.opindia.com/2025/08/jawaharlal-nehru-indus-water-treaty-pakistan-1960-parliament-approval/ Reports the Indus Waters Treaty was debated in the Lok Sabha on 30 November 1960 and quotes Nehru dismissing the criticism of the water concessions as 'an exceedingly narrow-minded approach' and rejecting the 'second partition' argument as 'loose, meaningless language.' ✓ reachable · archived
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Waters_Treaty Confirms the treaty (signed 19 Sept 1960) allocated the three western rivers (~80% of Indus basin flow) to Pakistan and the eastern rivers (~20%) to India, and records Nehru's parliamentary defence that India had 'purchased a settlement... purchased peace' good for both countries. ✓ reachable · archived
- https://theprint.in/feature/around-town/nehru-worried-about-indus-waters-treaty-he-signed-it-to-buy-peace-with-pakistan/2636426/ Documents the November 1960 Lok Sabha debate in which MPs (e.g. Ashok Mehta) repeatedly attacked the concessions to Pakistan and Nehru defended the treaty as bought to secure peace. ✓ reachable · archived