Left Parties Call for Country-Wide Action for Ceasefire in Gaza and Against Israel’s Genocidal War
As part of the four-day (November 7-10, 2023) joint Left call demanding immediate cease-fire in Gaza and asking the Modi government not to endorse the US-Israel genocidal campaign which has already killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, at least 4,000 of them children and 2,000 women, a public meeting in solidarity with Palestine was held today at HKS Surjeet Bhawan, Delhi. The Palestinian Ambassador to India also addressed the meeting along with leaders of the Left parties.
The meeting called for countrywide protests against the visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin who are coming to secure India's support for the US-Israel genocidal campaign in Gaza. The meeting also asked the Modi government not to accept the shocking and disastrous proposal of exporting Indian construction workers to Israel to replace Palestinian workers.
Speaking at the convention, Com. Dipankar, General Secretary, CPIML Liberation said that India's freedom struggle against the 200 years of British colonial rule teaches and inspires us to stand with the people of Palestine and their struggle for Liberation. Standing with Palestine is standing with values of India's anti-colonial freedom struggle - liberty, equality, solidarity and justice."
He further added that Israel’s intentions are to repeat the Nakbha of 1948 and carry out another ethnic cleaning of the Palestinians from their homeland. And it’s a shame and matter of grave concern that at this juncture Modi government is standing with Israel, throwing away the historic foreign policy of India which always stood with Palestinian people and their cause. Today, Indian government is complicit with the crimes committed by Israel against Palestinians.
“We need intensify our movement to end this genocide against people in occupied Palestine and also the complicity of Modi-BJP regime, by strengthening our country-wide and village level campaigns. We also need to counter the attempts by BJP and Godi media to portray the struggle by people of Palestine as terrorism.”
The Palestinian Ambassador to India, Adnan Abu Alhaija thanking the people of India for their steadfast solidarity with the people of Palestine. Explaining the Israel’s war on Gaza, he also added how the apartheid policies of Israel against the Palestinians, despite the Oslo peace agreement are taking away rights, dignity and lives of people of Palestine. From land to water to food, everything is controlled by the Israel to harass and intimidate Palestinians. Com. Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of CPI(M), Com. D Raja, General Secretary of CPI, Com. G Devarajan, General Secretary of Forward Bloc, Com. R.S. Dagar, Central Committee Member of RSP, Com. Prakash Rao of the CGPI and Com. Prakash Karat of CPI (M) also addressed the Convention calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians.
Across the country, CPI(ML) and mass organisations, along with other left parties and several progressive organisations have been intensifying their campaign have to mount pressure on the Modi government and the US-Israel axis to stop the genocide.
Bihar
In a joint rally in Patna on November 7, CPI(ML) and other left parties and civil society organisations organised a protest demonstration at Budhha Smriti Park calling for ceasefire on Gaza. The leaders of the left parties strongly opposing the policies of American imperialism, which is funding, arming and supporting Israel said that the on-genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank must be stopped immediately. The world must unite against the attempt by Israel to wipe out the existence of people of Palestine.
The protest was addressed by senior CPI-ML leaders KD Yadav and Com. Shashi Yadav, CPM's Sarvoday Sharma and Arun Mishra, CPI's Nivedita Jha and Sarfaraz of PUCL among several others. Unanimously condemning the pro-Israel policy of Modi government, the leaders at the protest said that Modi’s support to Israel is about importing the tools and tactics of repression against the people. The BJP is trying to draw a false parallel between terrorist attacks in India and the present Hamas offensive. Yet again, the Modi government and the BJP have turned a blind eye to the occupation and crimes perpetrated against the Palestinians, and are seeking to instrumentalise this situation to further fan the flames of hate against India’s own Muslim community. Expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine, the rally called immediate ceasefire in Gaza and that the only acceptable role for India is to help seek a political solution upholding the Palestinian right to a sovereign homeland, which is the only possible route to peace.
On November 6, the CPI(ML) MLAs organised a demonstration inside the Bihar State Assembly calling for an end to Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza and for immediate ceasefire. Comrades Mahboob Alam, Sandeep Saurav, Manoj Manzil, Mahanand Prasad, Rambali Singh Yadav, Amarjeet Kushwaha and Sudama Prasad joined the protest during the beginning of Winter Session of the Assembly.
On November 2, on the martrydom anniversity of Comrade Shah Chand, the legendary CPI(ML) leader of Arwal, a massive anti-war meeting was organised in his memory in Arwal to demand immediate cease-fire in Gaza and condemn the Modi government's shameless refusal to back the UN resolution for peace.
West Bengal
On November 1, 2023, a joint protest march was organised from college street in Kolkata against the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza by the Israel. AIPWA, AISA and several other progressive organisations joined the call demanding immediate ceasefire and end to the Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza.
Com. Indrani Datta, AIPWA state Secretary said that that thousands of women and children have been killed in massacre against people of Palestine by Israel. The complicity of the US and other western countries is shameful and immediate steps needs to be taken to stop this genocidal war. The Indian government must also stand with the people of Palestine.
CPIML and mass organisations also organised Protest demonstrations in Jadavupur and Krishnanagar among other places in West Bengal.
Odisha
AICCTU Odisha state unit organised a protest at Gunupur, Rayagada on November 7 against Israel's massacre of Palestinians. Com. Mahendra Parida, AICCTU state secreatry condemning the massacre of Palestinians said that India government should carry forward anti-colonial legacy and put pressure on Israel and Western countries to immediately put an end to the war and work on a solution for a sovereign state of the people of Palestine.
Andhra Pradesh
Palestine Solidarity rally was organised by CPIML in Tenali, Guntur district on November 7. The march, expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine and their struggle for liberation was organised from the CPIML district office (Jamia Majid) at Shivaji Chowk to Chinaravur Park demanding immediate ceasefire in Gaza and end to Israel’s genocidal campaign. A poster exhibition was held as aprt of the protest depicting the brutality of the Israel’s war on Palestinians.
CPIML Liberation State Secretary Comrade Nainalashetti Murthy speaking at the protest called for implementation of the resolution of the United Nations for ceasefire in Gaza and to establish and recognize an independent Palestine.
Jharkhand
A joint rally of Left Parties was organised on November 7 in Ranchi’s Albert Ekka Chowk condemning the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza by the US backed Israeli forces. Expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine, the protest said that Indian government should stop its alliance with the US and Israel and stand with cause of justice and with the people of Palestine.
