CPIML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, CC member Prabhat Kumar and N Sai Balaji met the Palestinian Ambassador to India H.E. Mr. Adnan Abu Alhaija on 16 October. They handed him over a letter expressing CPIML's solidarity with the people of Palestine and their struggle for liberation. The party conveyed its “deepest solidarity to the people of Palestine, who are currently facing a genocide in Gaza at the hands of the settler colonial apartheid state of Israel. We stand with you as you mourn the victims of Israel’s latest murderous atrocities on children and adults, whose numbers are daily rising. We condemn the horrifying war crimes being committed by Israel including stopping all food supplies, water, electricity and fuel alongside a bombing campaign targeting hospitals, schools, homes, and people following Israeli instructions to flee. We are appalled that such horrors are being unleashed on more than two million people, half of them children, who are trapped in the densely populated ‘open air concentration camp’ of Gaza.
“We condemn the US administration and its imperialist allies who are using lies to justify once again escalating military support for Israel, emboldening it to commit further war crimes. We demand that the Indian government upholds its historical anti-imperialist solidarity with Palestine and does not endorse in any way Israel’s genocidal project. We affirm once again the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to resist colonialism and Apartheid.
“We in CPI(ML) have always unequivocally supported the inspiring and heroic struggle of the Palestinian people for a free Palestine ‘from the river to the sea’. Indians having been victims of a long period of colonial oppression, there remains a deep affinity among Indians of all faiths for the Palestinian people in their fight for a sovereign Nation. We pledge to continue to work to strengthen these bonds of solidarity between Indians and Palestinians.”
Press Resolution by INDIA Bloc Political Leaders
On the same day a delegation of leaders from various political parties met with the Ambassador of Palestine and conveyed their resolution of support for Palestine. The delegation included Mani Shankar Aiyar (Former Minister), Jena Srikanth (Former Minister), K. C. Tyagi, Manoj Jha, M. P., Javed Ali Khan, M. P., Kunwar Danish Ali, M. P., Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI(ML), Muzaffar Shah, JKANC, Shahid Siddiqui, M. P., D. Raja, CPI, Nilotpal Basu, Ex MP, CPM, Santosh Bharti, Ex MP, Mohammad Adeeb, Ex-MP, Mohammad Afzal, Ex-MP and Nadeem Khan. The Resolution reads as follows:
“We, the undersigned, believe that violence is never a solution as it leads to a cycle of destruction and suffering. Therefore we emphasise the need for increased efforts by the international community in bringing about a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The international community must exert pressure on the state of Israel to abide by international laws and respect the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people. We call for intensified diplomatic efforts and multilateral initiatives to ensure a lasting peace in the region.
“We express our deep concern regarding the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the suffering of the Palestinian people. We strongly condemn the indiscriminate bombing of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel, which we believe amounts to an attempt to genocide. We urge an immediate cessation of all hostilities to prevent further loss of innocent lives and the destruction of homes and infrastructure.
“Furthermore, we call for urgent and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. The dire humanitarian situation demands immediate attention and action. All necessary measures must be taken to ensure that essential supplies, including food, water, and medical aid, reach the affected population without hindrance.
“We strongly believe in the statement of Mahatma Gandhi, "Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French," which reflects his belief in the importance of recognizing the sovereignty and territorial rights of the Palestinian people, just as any other nation's right to their homeland.
“Recognising that the Palestinian people have endured immeasurable suffering for over 75 years, we firmly assert that now is the time to end their plight. We urge the international community to recognize the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders in accordance with the UN resolutions. Such recognition is a crucial step towards ensuring a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, providing the Palestinian people with the opportunity to determine their own destiny and live in peace and security.”
On 11 October a group of concerned citizens of Delhi met the Palestinian Ambassador to India to express solidarity of Indian people with people of Palestine. This included Prabhat Kumar, central committee member of CPIML, Ravi Nair, Apoorvanand, Annie Raja, Hannah Mollah, Nadeem and N Sai Balaji. They expressed their regrets on the loss of innocent people during the ongoing conflict and said that there should be an immediate end of Israeli occupation of Palestine, ceasefire and a permanent solution to the Israel and Palestine issue through diplomacy and dialogue.
