WEB DESK
CPI(M) General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi lodging protest against India’s abstention at the UNHRC on the
Resolution on the Palestinian issue
Shri Narendra Modi
Prime Minister
Government of India
Dear Pradhan Mantri ji,
I am writing this letter registering my strong protest over India’s
vote of abstention in the UN Human Rights Council on the Resolution on
the Palestinian issue and human rights of all peoples.
Indian people’s support to the legitimate Palestinian right to their
homeland predates our independence and was part of our freedom
struggle. Our support to the Palestinian cause emerged as a national
consensus. India’s vote in the UNHRC violates this consensus.
India consistently championed all the UN resolutions and opposed
Israel’s blatant violations of these and its illegal occupation of
Palestinian lands.
India’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations speaking in the
Security Council on May 17, 2021 expressed India’s support to the
“Just Palestinian Cause”. He reiterated India’s consistent stand of a
two-state solution with equal sovereign rights, with East Jerusalem as
the capital of Palestine. However, ten days later comes this vote
abstaining on a resolution which seeks at securing Israel’s compliance
with international human rights covenants.
This vote by India received a chorus of international disappointment,
dismay and protests. Many correctly see this abstention as stifling
the important work of the UNHRC in advancing human rights for all
people including those of the Palestinians.
I am also constrained to point out that this volte face comes at a
time when the standards of upholding human rights, democratic rights
and civil liberties in India is perilously declining. India’s
abstention is being correlated with the global concern over the fall
in the standards of upholding human rights in India.
India must reiterate its consistent support to the Palestinian cause
and cannot renege on the national consensus of support to the
Palestinian struggle.
I am requesting your immediate attention and a positive consideration
by India taking a forthright stand of cooperating with the independent
commission of enquiry set up by the UNHRC after adopting this
resolution, to investigate violation of international law by Israel.
Yours sincerely
(Sitaram Yechury)
General Secretary
Communist Party of India (Marxist)