Left slams India's abstention on Gaza resolution, CPI(M) plans protest on Sunday

India's abstention from voting on a United Nations resolution calling for a truce in Gaza is "shocking" and shows that the country is shaping its foreign policy as "a subordinate ally of US imperialism", the CPI and the CPI(M) said in a joint statement on Saturday, 28 October.

In a separate statement, the All-India Forward Bloc (AIFB) also condemned the stand taken by India in the matter.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) will also stage a protest at its A K G Bhavan office on Sunday to express solidarity with Palestine.

In the joint statement titled "Stop this Genocidal Aggression in Gaza", CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and his CPI counterpart, D Raja, said India's move negates its longstanding support to the Palestinian cause.

"It is shocking that India abstained on a resolution overwhelmingly adopted by the UN General Assembly calling for a humanitarian truce titled 'Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations' in the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza," they said.

"India's abstention on a resolution that was overwhelmingly adopted shows the extent to which Indian foreign policy is being shaped by being a subordinate ally of US imperialism and the (Narendra) Modi government's actions for consolidating the US-Israel-India nexus. This negates India's longstanding support to the Palestinian cause," they said.

The two Left parties said as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution, Israel stepped up its "genocidal air and ground attacks in the Gaza strip".

It also cut off all communications in Gaza, which is home to around 2.2 million (22 lakh) Palestinians, they said and called for an immediate ceasefire.

"Respecting the overwhelming mandate of the UN General Assembly that there must be an immediate ceasefire. The United Nations must re-energise itself to implement the mandate of the Security Council for a two-State solution with pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine," the parties said.

In its statement, the AIFB said: "India's abstention from supporting the resolution is indicative of deviation from India's stated policy on Palestine and excessive US servitude." "Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi openly supported Israeli military operations, which was completely contrary to the positions that India has upheld till yesterday. India's foreign policy has historically supported the Palestinian cause, which began with India voting against the United Nations resolution to create the state of Israel in 1947," it said.

The AIFB extended support and solidarity to the people of Palestine, and demanded an immediate end to Israel's military operations that have cost thousands of lives, including those of women and children. They also demanded the release of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in violation of international norms.

"The Forward Bloc also demands an immediate end to all intrusions by the United States and its allies in the region, making the United Nations irrelevant," it added.

The CPI-M's decision to stage the protest on Sunday was taken in an ongoing session of its Central Committee. The three-day meet that started on Friday is scheduled to conclude on Sunday.

Members of the party's Central Committee and politburo will take part in the protest.

The 193 members of the UNGA, which met in a resumed 10th Emergency Special Session, voted on the draft resolution submitted by Jordan and co-sponsored by more than 40 countries, including Bangladesh, the Maldives, Pakistan, Russia and South Africa.

The resolution was adopted with 120 countries voting in its favour, 14 against it and 45 abstaining. Besides India, the countries that abstained from voting included Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.