Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has sharply criticised the Modi government’s stance on the Palestine issue in an article published in The Hindu titled India’s Silenced Voice: Its Estrangement from Palestine. She argued that India must reclaim its leadership role and uphold justice, human rights, and constitutional values.
Criticism of Modi’s Foreign Policy Approach
Sonia Gandhi wrote that the government’s muted response and silence on the Palestine conflict amounted to abandoning both humanity and morality. She suggested that India’s position appeared to be shaped more by the personal friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu than by India’s constitutional values or strategic interests. She added that Modi’s “personal diplomacy” style cannot guide India’s foreign policy, noting how similar approaches have failed in countries like the United States.
Historical Context and India’s Legacy
She reminded readers that India had long supported the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and formally recognised the Palestinian state on November 18, 1988. She pointed out that more than 150 of the UN’s 193 member states—including France, the UK, Canada, Portugal, and Australia—have recognised Palestine, while India’s leadership role has diminished. She also recalled India’s strong stands against apartheid in South Africa, its backing of Algeria’s independence movement, and its intervention during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War to stop atrocities.
Call for Renewed Leadership
According to Sonia Gandhi, India has historically maintained a sensitive yet principled position on Israel-Palestine, rooted in peace and human rights. She urged the Modi government to show leadership on the issue, stressing that this is not a matter of partisanship but of justice, recognition, dignity, and human rights.
