IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, September 12: Senior Congress leader and former diplomat Mani Shankar Aiyar has strongly criticized the central government for purchasing arms from Israel and forgetting the issue of Palestine. He also said that when India had 30 crore population, it opposed world powers including America and Russia and supported Palestine but now when it is a nation of 120 crore population it is “bowing to Israel”.
“There was time when we (India) stood up alone in support of Palestine in the whole world when only Muslims and Arab World were supporting Palestine. We opposed United States, we opposed Soviet Union, we opposed Britain and France, and we opposed China of that time. We said that when there is a fight between oppression and justice, we cannot support oppression even though we are left alone,” said former union minister Aiyar while speaking at a national Palestine conference here last week.
The Congress leader clearly opposed purchasing of weapons from Israel.
“Where has gone that India? Now we want weapons from Israel to defend ourselves against Pakistan. How can it be justified if you take support from the country where atrocities are being unleashed,” asked Aiyar.
“We say that we will purchase arms from Israel and defeat Pakistan. What nonsense is this? Why are we bowing to Israel which is unleashing atrocity on Palestinians just to save ourselves? When we were alone, we knew that our principles would save us, our heritage would save us and our people are united,” said Congress leader.
He was speaking at the Palestine Conference organised by English fortnightly The Milli Gazette and Institute of Islamic & Arab Studies in collaboration with the Department of Arabic, Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi.
While lamenting that India has forgotten the issue of Palestine, he stressed that the issue is not of one community or nation; rather it is the issue of all.
“India has forgotten the issue and you (Muslims) too are wandering alone. This is a great sin. The issue of Palestine should again be given such impetus and status that we all consider it our own issue. This is not an issue of a community or nation. This is our issue because there cannot be any compromise between oppression and justice,” said Aiyar.
“Jaswant Singh (BJP leader and former external affairs minister) had once gone to Israel and told a gathering that India could not recognize Israel for past so many years because Muslims in India were being appeased during the Congress regimes. To look at the Palestine issue from this angle is a big injustice,” said he.
“Mahatma Gandhi had said about the Palestinians. Palestine belongs to the Arabs as England to the English and France to the French. This was Gandhi’s country. This was Nehru’s country. Now we have become Modi’s country,” said Aiyar.
Other eminent persons who spoke at the conference included Milli Gazette editor Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan who is considered an authority on Middle East and West Asia affairs and Dr Tasleem Rahmani, president Muslim Political Council of India.
