– Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi, May 19: On May 17, a significant number of students and faculty from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) gathered at the Sabarmati T-point under the banner of ‘JNU FOR PALESTINE’ to protest against the alleged genocide in Gaza by the Zionist regime of Israel. The demonstrators expressed solidarity with Palestinians and students worldwide, accusing the Indian government of complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and failing to address the plight of the Palestinian people.
Speakers at the event included Prof. AK Ramakrishnan, Prof. Surajit Mazumdaar, and Dr. Vikas Bajpai, who provided historical context to the systemic violence and injustice faced by Palestinians.
Prof. Surajit Mazumdaar, who has visited occupied Palestine, highlighted the grim situation where over 35,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children (approximately 14,500 children), have been killed in Gaza. He noted that an additional 100 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.
Prof. Mazumdaar argued that Israel’s genocidal attacks, in retaliation for Hamas’s actions on October 7, are a smokescreen to justify their actions, claiming that Israel’s self-defense rhetoric aims to exterminate the Palestinian people. He emphasized that Palestinian Arabs outnumber Jewish settlers in Israel, which has led to suppression efforts by the “white-skinned” Jewish population.
Prof. Vikas Bajpai from the Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health at JNU described the situation as one of the largest genocides in modern history, with doctors killed, hospitals destroyed, and Gaza’s educational infrastructure obliterated. He pointed out that Israel receives substantial military aid from the US, while American institutions profit from companies involved in the Gaza conflict. He detailed the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, with mass graves and famines becoming common.
Dr. Bajpai further noted that Palestinians are now fighting their own war without relying on Arab support, as many Arab nations align with US imperialism. Unlike past conflicts between Israel and Arab states, the current situation persists with severe consequences.
The speakers accused the Indian government of supporting the genocide by sending Indian laborers to Israel and supplying weapons used against Palestinians. They condemned global repression against students protesting for justice and called for united demonstrations by student organizations with widely supported demands.
Their demands included:
- An immediate end to the genocide in Gaza and arrest warrants for Israeli leaders by the International Court of Justice.
- Stopping the Indian government’s facilitation of recruiting Indian workers in place of Palestinian workers.
- Severing relations with Israeli educational institutions and halting their funding in Indian universities.
- Stopping Indian arms supplies to Israel.
- Granting full UN membership to Palestine.
The protest was organized by Dr. Swathi and Manmohan from the Center for Social Medicine and Community Health, with active participation from students including Vikas, Manmohan, Swathi, Asrar, Raman, Harinder, and Prabuddha.
