Latest news with #StreeMuktiAndolanSamparkSamiti
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Civil society groups hold symbolic hunger strike in Pune protesting atrocities against Palestinians
UNDER THE banner 'A Hunger Strike of Solidarity – For Gaza!', several progressive organisations and concerned citizens from Pune came together on Saturday to protest the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine. The symbolic hunger strike, held at Sambhaji Garden, called for an immediate end to the violence in Gaza and demanded urgent food and medical aid for the Palestinian people. Chanting slogans such as 'Stop the genocide in Palestine!', 'Start food aid immediately!' and 'Free Palestine!', protesters demanded that the Indian government take a firm and unequivocal stand in support of Palestine, continuing its historical position of backing Palestinian sovereignty and justice. For nearly two years, and even before, Israel has been accused of carrying out relentless attacks on Gaza. Protesters highlighted that innocent women, children, and men are being killed daily in aerial bombings, and that the situation has worsened with Israel blocking the supply of essential goods such as food and medicines. They pointed out that this amounts to a deliberate starvation strategy , which can amount to a war crime. The protest in Pune was part of a larger international campaign from July 27 to August 3, during which citizens across the globe staged hunger strikes and solidarity demonstrations. The event was jointly organised by several progressive groups including the Stree Mukti Andolan Sampark Samiti, National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), Pune Collective, DYFI, SFI, Nava Samajwadi Paryay, Lokshahi Utsav Samiti, PUCL, among others. Several notable voices addressed the gathering. Prof. Dr. Parimal Maya Sudhakar spoke of India's historic opposition to the partition of Palestine and its consistent support for peaceful resistance led by Yasser Arafat. He warned against Israel's expansionist ambitions across Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon and urged the Indian government to uphold its legacy by supporting Palestinian liberation. Prof. Shruti Tambe highlighted multiple cases of gender-based violence committed by Israeli forces, and the cruel targeting of refugee camps and civilians asking for food. She cited alarming figures — over 18,000 Palestinian children have died in the past two months alone, many now dying due to hunger. Writer and academic Anjali Chipalkatti called the assault on Gaza a profiteering land grab disguised as war. 'This is not war,' she said, 'but a colonial strategy to displace a population and occupy land.' She emphasised that resisting such injustice is a moral and scientific imperative. The protest concluded with a united pledge by all participants to continue raising their voice for the people of Palestine, and to oppose injustice in all its forms across the world.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Pune: Citizens to fast in solidarity with Gaza at JM Road today
To express solidarity with the people of Gaza and to 'demand an end to the genocide and starvation deaths of the people of Palestine', a group of citizens will fast outside Sambhaji Garden on Jungli Maharaj Road in Pune between 9am and 7pm on Sunday. The fast is being organised by Stree Mukti Andolan Sampark Samiti, National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), Pune Collective, DYFI, SFI, Nav Samajwadi Paryaya, Lokshahi Utsav Samiti, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and other organisations. Kiran Moghe, a member of the Stree Mukti Andolan Sampark Samiti, told The Indian Express, 'We believe that everyone globally has to stand with the people of Gaza. We need to draw attention to what is happening in Gaza even in our country. Traditionally, people in India have always stood with the people of Palestine.' At the United Nations Security Council on July 23, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish reiterated India's support for Palestine and said, 'India shares historic and strong ties with our Palestinian brothers and sisters. We have always stood by them and our commitment towards the Palestinian cause is unwavering. We were the first non-Arab country to recognize the State of Palestine.' Israel has come under heavy criticism for its war in Gaza, which has left over 60,000 dead, including 17,400 children, according to Palestinian authorities. After France announced that it will recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, the United Kingdom and Canada have also said that they will recognise Palestine in September, depending on a few conditions. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court at The Hague, Netherlands, put out arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders, requiring all 125 ICC member states to arrest them if they entered their territory. However, Hungary ignored the arrest warrant when Netanyahu visited in April 2025.
