‘Take back what is ours’: Zoho's Sridhar Vembu shares Sindhi bizman’s post calling to reclaim PoK, Balochistan after Pahalgam terror attack

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has said that the recent terror attack in Kashmir is a reminder of the dangers the country still faces. His statement came in the aftermath of the Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 people, most of them tourists, were killed when terrorists opened fire at Baisaran meadow on Tuesday evening.

“These terrorist attacks are a reminder of what is at stake for us,” Vembu said, reacting to a post by entrepreneur Prakash Dadlani, who recalled the trauma of his family’s displacement during Partition. The exchange has triggered widespread discussion online about how such events reopen historic wounds and reinforce national anxieties.

Vembu reflects on shared memories

Responding to Dadlani’s viral message, Vembu wrote, “I have met many Sindhi Hindus living in the US who told me the same thing Prakash-ji says below about his family’s experience of partition. I have heard the same thing from Bengali friends. We have the experience of Kashmiri Pandits in living memory. All this should give us the resolve to make sure it never happens in our nation again.”

Vembu’s remarks, though brief, have drawn attention for the way they connect present-day security threats with the legacy of communal violence and displacement.

Vembu shares Sindhi businessman Dadlani’s partition account

Dadlani, whose message prompted Vembu’s response, recalled his family’s experience during the 1947 Partition. “In 1947, my family had three choices: A. Convert to Islam; B. Leave their home, all belongings & flee with zero; C. Stay where they are and die. They chose B. (I thank God every single day that they did).”

He wrote further, “Left their home and all their belongings in Sindh and became refugees overnight. For a promise of safety. For the idea of India. Decades later, their mindset towards Hindus is still the same. We will always be the Kafirs. And I put this on record to say that: It will happen again.”

A call for national assertion

Dadlani ended his post with a call for reclaiming lost territories: “Even I might forget this attack. But what I’ll never forget is the day our Govt. takes back POK (& surrounding areas), Sindh, Balochistan. It’s the time to take back what is ours. Not for hatred, but for the safety of my countrymen. And for the families like mine that never got to go home.”

As public figures speak out in the wake of the attack, their words are shaping a national conversation that connects present threats with the unfinished history of Partition, migration, and identity.

Government responds with diplomatic and policy actions

In response to the attack, India has announced a set of measures aimed at sending a strong diplomatic message. On Wednesday, the government stated that the Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, will be suspended until further notice. Additionally, the Attari Integrated Checkpost, a key point of land transit between India and Pakistan, has been ordered shut with immediate effect.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, addressing a press briefing after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), said that Pakistani citizens will no longer be allowed entry into India under the SAARC Visa Exemption scheme.

The CCS meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by senior ministers, lasted for over two hours. Following the discussion, India declared Pakistan’s defence, military, naval, and air advisors stationed at its High Commission in New Delhi as persona non grata. These officials have been directed to leave the country within seven days.

The foreign secretary also announced that the staff strength of both High Commissions will be reduced to 30 members each, down from the current level of 55. The changes are to be implemented by May 1.

The Pahalgam attack

The terror attack in Baisaran occurred on Tuesday evening. The area, popular with tourists for its scenic views, became the site of one of the deadliest attacks in Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing. Among the victims were two foreign nationals—one from the UAE and another from Nepal—and three Indian tourists from West Bengal. Several others were injured.

Swift government response

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Saudi Arabia at the time of the incident, returned to India early Wednesday and chaired a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting the same evening. The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who cut short her visit to the United States.

The government has said those responsible “will not be spared and brought to justice.”