India's 'controlled response’ to conflict in Gaza linked government’s ‘nuanced stance’: Political analyst

By Anadolu staff​​​​​​​

India’s “controlled” response to the conflict in Gaza is because the political and religious class is more aware about the "nuanced stance" of the government, veteran journalist and Indian political analyst Rasheed Kidwai told Anadolu.

“Yes, this time we have seen a muted response in India. In the past, we witnessed long and massive support for Palestine, but this time, even though the condemnations are happening, the articulation is not much and it is very muted and controlled now,” he said. adding that the "controlled response" is also perhaps linked to the fear of detentions.

Several Indian cities have had rallies in support of Palestine as the Gaza Strip continues to experience a dire humanitarian crisis after armed conflict erupted between Israel and Palestine earlier this month.

Pro-Palestine rallies in the last two weeks have been witnessed in several areas of the country including New Delhi, the southern states of Kerala and Karnataka, the financial hub of Mumbai and the eastern state of Bihar.

In Delhi, where rallies were organized, including by student groups since the conflict broke out, police have detained demonstrators.

The latest rally Friday, Friends of Palestine, was a peaceful protest in solidarity with Palestinians. It condemned the ongoing genocide by Israeli forces.

“The religious class and intelligentsia don’t want to have a confrontation with the Indian state. They also know the government of India cannot do anything about it. The government has done whatever it is required like it expressed support towards the Palestine cause,” said Kidwai

Police have registered cases against those who expressed solidarity with Palestine.

The northern state of Uttar Pradesh registered a case after students at a university held a rally in support of Palestine.

Local media also reported similar cases. On Friday, police in Maharashtra state, ruled by the Bhartiya Janata Party, registered a case against “more than 200 people who defied prohibitory orders,” and staged protests in support of Palestine, according to the Press Trust of India.

-India abstains from UN vote on humanitarian truce

India abstained from a vote in the UN General Assembly on Friday that called for an immediate and sustained “humanitarian truce” in the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Palestine.

“We hope that the deliberations of this assembly will send a clear message against terror and violence and expand prospects for diplomacy and dialogue, while addressing the humanitarian crisis that confronts us,” Indian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Yojna Patel said during the vote.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, senior leader of the main opposition party, Indian National Congress, however, wrote on X that she was “shocked and ashamed” that India “abstained from voting for a ceasefire in Gaza.”

Despite traditionally supporting a two-state solution in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called an offensive by Hamas that started the new conflict a series of "terrorist attacks."

Days later, after he spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Modi said he reiterated India’s “principled position” on the issue. India on October 22 said it sent humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine.

Over the years, India-Israel relations have seen rapid growth across a broad spectrum of areas, including defense. India imports critical defense technologies from Israel, according to the Indian government.

Hamas launched an attack on Israel that killed more than 1,400 Israelis, with over 200 more taken to Gaza as hostages.

Israel retaliated by imposing a "complete siege" on Gaza that has halted deliveries of electricity, food, water and medicine, as it carries out a relentless bombing campaign that has killed more than 7,000 Palestinians, including more than 3,595 children and injured 19,734 others, according to data from the Gaza Health Ministry.