A Just Peace for Palestine was the title of a recently-concluded conference at the India International Centre in New Delhi, India. At a time when India is gripped by manifold internal problems – the threat from the Maoists, rising tensions in Kashmir and the fiasco over the Commonwealth games – it seems rather surprising to host a conference on Palestine. Externally too for many analysts there are far more pressing issues – a resurgent China's attempts to encircle India, war of words and tensions with Pakistan. So why Palestine?
The justification can be found in the fact that it was not an ad hoc decision but an event in the larger on going process of a campaign begun in India for the boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel to force it to comply with international law and bring about an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories, the oppression of Palestinian people and the establishment of a viable contiguous Palestinian state in West Asia. This is a campaign that has been kicked off by some academics and intellectuals only, but it is hoped that it will grow rapidly in the near future. There is also the hope that the government of India can be pressured to cease its growing strategic and defence ties with Israel. India is Israel's number one arms buyer, something that helps keeps the Isreali economy afloat. The attacks by Israeli forces on the Gaza flotilla carrying international aid to the besieged people in the strip in international waters further lent a sense of urgency to the conference.