West Bengal: Rallies Denounce Israeli Aggression; Call for Peace in West Asia

Kolkata: Shouting their hearts out against the aggression of Israel on the Gaza Strip and demanding an end to the war in West Asia, thousands of CPI(M) activists, at the call of the Burdwan East District committee, took out a huge rally on Friday. CPI(M) state secretary MD Salim, party central committee member Abhas Roychudhury, and Burdwan East district secretary Sayad Hossain, amongst others, participated in the rally.

CPI(M) activists from the rally called for an end to Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip, marking Israel as the main aggressor in West Asia.

Meanwhile, yesterday, at the call of the All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation (AIPSO), hundreds of AIPSO activists took part in an Anti-imperialism March cum Peace rally in Kolkata, calling for an end to Israeli occupation in Palestine and for immediate peace in the Israel-Hamas war in West Asia. Teachers, students, and anti-war activists like AIPSO leader Rabin Deb, took part in the rally, which started from the Dharmatolla Lenin Statue premises in the heart of Kolkata and went up to Entally Market premises.

The activists carried placards and raised anti-war slogans, condemning the “imperialist aggression of the Israeli forces and their master – the US government”. The rally also condemned the role played by the Indian government and demanded that India play a mediatory role so that this attack on the Gaza Strip by the Israeli forces comes to an end.

Later, taking part in a meeting before the Entally Market area, AIPSO state general secretary Prof Anjan Bera talked about the 1947 decision of the United Nations which spoke of the two-nation theory. It was decided that within the ambit of the Palestinian geographical area, two separate independent states of Palestine and Israel would come into being. The UN had also decided on the boundaries of the two states. But now reports confirm that Israel, through brute force, has occupied more than 80% of Palestine.

“At the same time, Israel has adhered to the apartheid Zionist policy and decided that it will be a state only for the Jews. This declaration of Israel is also against the pluralist tradition of Palestinian society,” said Bera.

He added that the present-day Union government of our country is finding similarities with their pursued politics of hate, with that of Zionist ideology. “Hence, the Narendra Modi government has removed itself from the earlier stance of the Indian government and is trying to project an Israel-tilted foreign policy,” he claimed.

Bera also questioned the rationale of comparing Hamas with the nuclear-capable state of Israel. “Israel is now taking part in genocide in the Gaza Strip, and the Indian government is supporting them; this cannot be tolerated,” he said.

Speaking at the meeting, senior AIPSO leader Rabin Deb said that Israel is carrying out an unimaginable atrocity in the Gaza Strip. “More than 3,000 have lost their lives. More than 8,000 Indians are now waiting for evacuation from Israel. The Indian government should take immediate steps for their safe return,” he said.

“The Netanyahu government of Israel is a far-right government that tried to influence the courts of that state. Against it, throughout Israel, there were protests. In India, the Narendra Modi government is walking through the same shoes. It has removed the chief justice of the Supreme Court from the process of choosing the central election commissioner. Earlier, former US president Donald Trump unilaterally during his presidency had declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel. In reality, Trump, Modi, and Netanyahu are all close cohorts and each is following the other's footsteps,” added Deb.