Senior CPM Leader Makes News For Calling Hamas 'Terrorists' In Appeasement-Ridden Kerala

The Israel-Palestine crisis has taken a turn for the worse, and its effects are being felt in Kerala.

Traditionally, politicians in the state have supported the Palestinian cause. However, this time both the ruling CPI(M) and the opposition Congress are being cautious in order to avoid accusations of appeasement from the BJP.

This comes even as Muslim organisations and religious bodies in Kerala have taken to the streets in pro-Palestine protests.

The CPI(M) has remained silent while the BJP targeted the Congress for the party's Working Committee resolution reaffirming the support for the Palestinian cause without mentioning the Hamas, whose deadly terror attack in Israel resulted in killing of over 1,200 people.

The resolution too had a Kerala link, as the CWC member and state leader Ramesh Chennithela had pushed for the mention of the crisis even as many others cautioned against it, which surprised many within the party.

Some Congress leaders reportedly believed that this stance would hurt the Congress and benefit the BJP in Kerala.

In its statements on the Israel-Gaza crisis, the CPI(M) Politburo has blamed both the sides, regretting “these attacks and counter attacks between Hamas and the Israeli forces’’.

Similar to Congress, it has kept out any mention of “terror” to describe the Hamas attacks.

However, there are clear differences within the parties regarding this nuanced stance, which does not unequivocally support the Arab/Palestinian cause.

While Politburo member M A Baby previously stated that if Hamas is labeled as a "terrorist organization", then Israel should be seen as a "terrorist country", CPI(M) Central Committee member K K Shailaja Teacher on Wednesday also drew a parallel by referring to Hamas as "terrorists" in a Facebook post.

Expressing her anguish over killings on both sides, Shailaja said, "Anyone with a conscience would deplore the attacks carried out by Hamas terrorists in human settlements in Israel. At the same time, one should not forget that Israel and the imperialistic forces supporting the country are responsible for the terrorism which Palestine has been facing… since 1948,” she said.

With its clear pro-Israel stance, the BJP aims to capitalise on the predicament faced by the CPI(M) and Congress.

Following a solidarity march with Palestine organised by the Dakshina (south) Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, a body of Muslim scholars, BJP state president K Surendran accused the CPI(M), Congress, and IUML of "provoking Hamas supporters in Kerala".

He asserted that this provocation stemmed not only from their "grudge towards Israel" but also from their anti-India sentiments and longstanding hatred towards Hindus and Christians.

Surendran further accused M A Baby of “propitiating a vote bank”.

In the past, Kerala's political landscape, largely influenced by the Left, often took an "anti-imperialist" stance. This involved criticising Western powers for actions such as the US invasion in Afghanistan, the US action against Saddam Hussein, the Gaza War of 2008-2009, and the India-US civil nuclear agreement.

However, recently, there have been accusations that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) and Congress units in Kerala have tailored their response to the Israel-Palestine crisis based on their own political interests.

In 2021, when a caregiver from Kerala, Soumya Santhosh, was killed in an airstrike by Hamas in Israel, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress veteran Oommen Chandy faced criticism for mentioning the outfit in their condolence messages and then deleting it.

Vijayan’s eventual statement only mentioned “a nurse who died in the Israel-Palestine conflict”, while the state government had reportedly abandoned a plan to send a representative for her funeral in Idukki.

The two main parties in Kerala are competing for the Muslim vote, as the Muslim community is exploring options beyond the Congress.

While the IUML has managed to keep the Muslims on the Congress's side as an ally, the Muslim League is facing pressure to take a stance, especially when other organisations like the Jamaat-e-Islami are taking the lead.

IUML state president Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab said on Wednesday that the developments in Israel were a sequel to Israel attacks in Palestine.

“The IUML is with the Palestinians, who are fighting for freedom. The issue demands a political solution. The support of the world forces towards Israel is a matter of concern,” Thangal said, while calling the Modi government’s support to Israel “unfortunate’’.

In a phone conversation with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister Modi expressed India's support for Israel during this challenging time.

“People of India stand firmly with Israel in this difficult hour. India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," PM Modi said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.