NEW DELHI, 1 August 2006 — Cutting across party lines, legislators in Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian Parliament, yesterday expressed outrage at the killing of innocent women and children in Lebanon by Israeli airstrikes. Calling for an immediate cease-fire, the legislators demanded a strongly worded resolution condemning Israeli aggression, to be unanimously passed by the Parliament.
Members belonging to Communist Party of India (Marxist) also asked the government to suspend purchase of weapons from Israel. Several members, particularly those belonging to the Left, blamed the United States for being behind the “genocide” by Israel. Describing Israel as playing the role of a “stooge,” Mohan Singh, leading member of the Samajwadi Party, said: “It is really a proxy war by a superpower.”
Responding to the outrage voiced by legislators, Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that he would convey their strong sentiments to the prime minister and ask him to take “appropriate steps.”
Condemning the Israeli offensive, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Sunday: “India strongly condemns the continued irresponsible and indiscriminate bombing of Lebanon by the Israeli military, ignoring calls for restraint.”
Describing the bombing of residential buildings in the Lebanese village of Qana that led to death of women, children and old people as “particularly outrageous,” the statement said: “India expresses its deep condolences to the government and people of Lebanon over this tragic incident.”
India has also condemned airstrikes on UN peacekeeping troops, deployed on Israel-Lebanon border in which two Indian soldiers got wounded on Saturday. Voicing concern over “escalation of this conflict,” the statement reiterated India’s “call for an immediate and unconditional cease-fire, so that further loss of life and property can be prevented and humanitarian aid can reach the affected people.”
“A cease-fire should be followed by negotiations leading to a peaceful and comprehensive solution to the problems of this region that would take into account the legitimate interests and grievances of all parties.”
Displaying their outrage against the Israeli atrocities, Indian Muslims in several parts of the country have taken to streets. These include protest by All Parties Hurriyat Conference activists in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir and a protest march by large number of Muslims in Varanasi, in the Uttar Pradesh state. Describing the Israeli bombing as an “inhuman act,” Muslims leaders have also called on the Congress-led government to work in tandem with United Nations to put an early end to Israeli aggression.
Israeli bombing of Qana dominated front-page headlines of leading Indian newspapers yesterday.
