Israel’s military actions in Gaza have caused large-scale devastation and brought about a humanitarian disaster. The tiny enclave has been reduced to rubble. Tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians have lost their lives. Those who have survived have been displaced and are living in sub-human conditions in refugee camps where even a daily meal is a luxury. There is no sign of an end to the killings and destruction. This is the worst humanitarian crises the World has seen in many decades. Not only has the Modi Government been a mute spectator of these events, it has gone so far as to abstain from a United Nations resolution calling for a ceasefire.

The cowardly silence of the Modi government is a failure on several levels. It is a failure in our humanitarian responsibility towards a people that are being systematically wiped out. It is a failure in our moral responsibility to stand with the weak and oppressed, wherever they are. It is a failure of foreign-policy as we stand by and watch a sensitive region descend into chaos. But perhaps most tragically, it is a failure to uphold India’s historic legacy and standing in the Global order. India is the land that has taught the World ‘Ahimsa’. We have shown a World, wracked in conflict, how countries can be built with compassion, justice, and equity. The World has always seen India as a great civilization and turned to us for guidance in troubled times. This role of India was further cemented in Jawaharlal Nehru’s time. He led the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement that acted as the voice of emerging countries against the aggression of the powerful. India was seen as a staunch ally by the oppressed and a wise partner by the powerful. When India spoke, the World listened.

This reputation of India now lies in shambles. The Modi Government has watched silently as Gaza has burned. An India that once was the trusted friend of suffering people everywhere is now no more than another silent bystander, watching people die. An India that was seen as a staunchly independent voice with moral authority and the courage to stand up to aggressors is now no more than a pawn of Global forces. An India that once led the World towards peace has no voice left on the Global stage.

The Modi Government has not just betrayed the people of Gaza, it has betrayed the people of India as well.

Jai Congress. Jai Hind. Jai Jagat.