Bengaluru for Justice and Peace also issued a scathing condemnation of India’s decision to abstain from voting on a resolution for an “immediate, sustainable, and durable humanitarian truce” in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) amidst an incessant Israeli bombardment of the civilian infrastructure in Gaza.
Team Clarion
BENGALURU — A civil society group here on Tuesday strongly condemned the state government’s efforts to stifle voices of solidarity with the Palestinians, despite the historical support India has all along exerted for their cause.
Bengaluru for Justice and Peace also issued a scathing condemnation of India’s decision to abstain from voting on a resolution for an “immediate, sustainable, and durable humanitarian truce” in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) amidst an incessant Israeli bombardment of the civilian infrastructure in Gaza.
In an escalating global call for a ceasefire in Gaza, India’s abstention from the UNGA vote has raised concerns, given its long-standing support for the Palestinian people’s rights. Throughout India’s history, from leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh and the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressions of support for the Palestinian cause have been evident. Even Mahatma Gandhi stood in solidarity with Palestinian independence. This abstention has prompted Bengaluru for Justice and Peace to question the inconsistency in India’s foreign policy.
The organisation said the ongoing violence in Gaza is a systematic ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, involving ground invasions and continuous airstrikes on hospitals, schools, religious institutions, refugee camps, and residential neighbourhoods.
Even in the West Bank, the group said, thousands of Palestinians have been abducted. This is in addition to the atrocities and murders committed by Israeli military forces. Israeli political leaders have made statements that suggest an intention to commit genocide of the Palestinian people, the group said.
In Gaza, so far over 10,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, including 4,100 children. Additionally, over 2,300 individuals are missing and believed to be buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings. The mass bombardment of Gaza violates the humanitarian laws encoded in the Geneva Conventions, and the recent bombing of the Jabaliya refugee camp underscores the impunity with which Israel has violated the rules of war, the group said.
International law classifies genocide as the “crime of crimes,” and the United Nations General Assembly has described it as a denial of the right to existence for entire human groups, which “shocks the conscience of mankind.”
In response to these violations of international law, several countries and human rights groups worldwide have severed diplomatic ties with Israel. Countries such as Honduras, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Jordan, Chad, South Africa, Bahrain, and Turkey have withdrawn their ambassadors from Israel. Protests in solidarity with the Palestinian people have erupted across the globe, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to demand an immediate ceasefire.
Of particular concern is India’s abstention in the UNGA Special Session on October 27, when a resolution calling for “an immediate and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities” was presented. Furthermore, protests in support of Palestine have faced obstacles in various states within India, including New Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka, the group said.
Bengaluru for Justice and Peace specifically criticised the actions of the Karnataka police, citing their clampdown on protests and attempts to curb public expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The organisation also expressed its dismay with the Congress party, stating that while senior leaders have voiced support for Palestine, the Karnataka police have taken action against peaceful protestors in Bengaluru, Mysore, Tumkur, and other locations.
