| 25 October 2023
| Christie Anto
New Delhi, India – Israel's recent intensive bombing campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip, which resulted in the tragic deaths of nearly 6,000 people, including a significant number of children, has elicited worldwide outrage and a global call for an immediate ceasefire. However, in India, a country historically supportive of the Palestinian cause, a notable shift in public sentiment and government actions is raising concerns.
India, the first non-Arab nation to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and an advocate for Palestinian self-determination, is now perceived to be aligning more closely with Israel, its major benefactor, the United States. The shift is leading to a troubling trend where pro-Palestine activists and supporters find themselves targeted by the Indian government.
Less than a week after the Israeli assault on Gaza began, police in India's populous Uttar Pradesh state sought Muslim scholars Atif Chaudhary and Suhail Ansari, alleging that they had committed a crime by displaying a WhatsApp profile photo with the caption "I stand with Palestine." The two men were charged with promoting enmity between social groups. Ansari is currently under arrest, while Chaudhary remains on the run, according to police reports.
In the same state, governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), police booked four students from Aligarh Muslim University after they organized a pro-Palestine march on their campus. Strikingly, no action was taken against the Hindu far-right group Bajrang Dal when they conducted a pro-Israel march in the same city, voicing slogans hostile to Palestine and Hamas.
Reports of crackdowns on pro-Palestine rallies are not limited to Uttar Pradesh. In the national capital, New Delhi, numerous individuals have been detained during solidarity rallies organized by student groups, activists, and concerned citizens since October 7. The state of Maharashtra, also governed by the BJP in coalition with a regional party, witnessed the arrest of Ruchir Lad and Supreeth Ravish on October 13, after they led a march against the Gaza conflict, being charged with unlawful assembly.
Pooja Chinchole, a member of the Revolutionary Workers Party of India and an organizer of a protest in Mumbai, stated that the police created numerous obstacles for their pro-Palestine demonstration, including detaining organizers, confiscating placards and a microphone, and using force against some of the protestors.
Remarkably, the clampdown on pro-Palestine activism extends beyond BJP-ruled states. In Karnataka, governed by the main opposition Congress party, police charged ten activists with creating a public nuisance during a silent march in support of the Palestinians in Bengaluru, the state's capital. A 58-year-old Muslim man was arrested for allegedly posting a video expressing support for Hamas on WhatsApp. Another Muslim government employee, Alam Nawaz, was briefly detained for updating his WhatsApp status with a Palestinian flag and a "Long Live Palestine" message.
All these developments come despite the Congress party expressing its support for the "rights of the Palestinian people to land, self-government, and to live with dignity" and calling for an immediate ceasefire in a resolution passed by its working committee on October 9.
Simultaneously, pro-Israel rallies, primarily organized by Hindu right-wing groups, have gained prominence across India. Social media has seen many individuals offering their support to Israeli forces. Recent incidents, such as supporters of a retired Indian army soldier traveling to the Israeli embassy in New Delhi to volunteer for the conflict, underscore the intensification of this shift.
India's Hindu nationalist leader Yati Narsinghanand even went as far as to assert that Hindus and Jews share a common enemy and suggested that 1,000 Hindus should be allowed to settle in Israel to confront Muslims. Israel's ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, disclosed receiving numerous requests from Indians offering to fight for Israel voluntarily.
Apoorvanand, a professor at Delhi University, suggested that the Hindu far right in India is supporting Israel because they see ideological parallels with Zionists, with both groups promoting dominance through violence. He pointed out that the Hindu far right views Israel as fighting a proxy war on their behalf and pursuing expansionist ideologies akin to their own vision of "Akhand Bharat" (Unified India).
This dramatic shift in India's stance toward the Israel-Palestine conflict is a significant departure from its historical support for Palestinian rights. India's initial opposition to the creation of Israel in 1947 and its recognition of the PLO in 1974 were rooted in its rejection of countries based on religious lines. However, in recent years, India has strengthened its strategic and security cooperation with Israel, becoming the largest buyer of Israeli-made weapons.
Critics argue that the Indian government's response to the Gaza crisis has not been adequate. They believe India's silence on calling for a ceasefire reflects a desire to align more closely with the United States, and it also seeks to appease its Hindu nationalist voter base.
As India's approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict continues to evolve, it raises questions about its historical position and its role in the quest for peace and justice in the region.
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