In New Delhi, India’s largest civil society organizations held a protest on Saturday, calling on the government to take a decisive stance against the recent Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in a significant number of civilian casualties. This comes in the wake of an attack on Israel by the Gaza-based militant group Hamas, leading to ongoing airstrikes on the densely populated Gaza Strip.
As the Israeli offensive entered its second week, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported a tragic toll of at least 2,215 people killed, including 724 children, with over 6,000 bombs dropped, predominantly targeting residential areas, hospitals, and places of worship.
Initially, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed strong support for Israel, but the government adjusted its official position on Thursday, emphasizing its long-standing backing for “negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent, and viable state of Palestine.” Nevertheless, India has refrained from commenting directly on the situation in Gaza.
Arun Kumar, the secretary-general of the All India Peace and Solidarity Organization, the group that organized the protest, expressed concerns that India’s approach contradicts its historical struggle for freedom and foreign policy. Kumar urged India to take a clear and unequivocal stand against the Israeli attacks and to leverage its position in the United Nations to influence Israel’s actions.
The demonstration in New Delhi brought together 15 different NGOs, encompassing human rights organizations, trade unions, student and youth associations, as well as women’s groups. They united in their condemnation of Israeli attacks on Gaza and called for the respect of UN resolutions regarding Palestine. Their demands included an immediate halt to Israeli attacks, the restoration of pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, and the right of Palestinians to return to their homeland.
The protesters insisted that if India claims to represent the voice of the Global South, it should take a resolute position in support of Palestine. Prominent members of organizations like the All India Democratic Women’s Association also voiced their support for the Palestinian people, denouncing any narrative that portrays Palestinian resistance as terrorism.
Organizations that did not participate in the protest joined the call for the Indian government to take a more active role in supporting Palestine. They highlighted India’s historical foreign policy in favor of Palestinian freedom and its stance against Israeli expansionism.
India’s initial support for Israel and its current silence on the Gaza situation have raised questions about their alignment with the principles of the nation’s founding fathers. Various leaders within India emphasized that the current approach contradicts India’s humanitarian-oriented foreign policy and the pre-independence vision of Palestine upheld by figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
In response to inquiries from Arab News, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ spokesman, Arindam Bagchi, reiterated the government’s position expressed on Thursday and did not provide further comment at the moment.
Source: Arab News