People must protest against imperialist attacks on Iran and other countries as well as India’s current foreign policy, said N. Ram, director of The Hindu Group on Sunday (March 29, 2026).
“We have reached a stage where people have to protest against this transformation (of India’s foreign policy), side by side with our struggle against imperialist attacks on various states and the people of these countries. On behalf of everyone here, I would like to express solidarity with those who are facing imperialist attacks in West Asia, Latin America and elsewhere,” Mr. Ram said at a seminar on “Imperialist Central Aggression” at Biljethivan in HKS.
Cuban Ambassador to India Juan Carlos Marsan Aguilera, senior journalist Seema Chisti and leaders of leftist parties attended the event.
Mr Ram said the BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had adopted a “shameful policy” following the “treacherous” attack on Iran by the United States and Israel.
“Israel and the United States treacherously launched an attack on Iran and assassinated the head of the country, the supreme leader… And India, I think, is one of the worst affected countries,” he said. Mr Ram said “war crimes” and “humanitarian crimes” had been committed in Iran, with schoolgirls murdered in one of the missile attacks. US President Donald Trump tried to deny it, but the truth came out, he added.
“Not only did they (India) fail to condemn the assassination of the supreme leader… they also created, through the Prime Minister’s (Mr. Modi’s) visit to Israel, at exactly the wrong time, the impression that there was some sort of collusion. Or at least the visit provided cover for (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, along with the United States, to start this Mr. Ramtro.
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He said the transformation of India’s foreign policy, which is “deeply” disturbing, was visible in three interrelated events. “Deepening the strategic partnership with the United States, cementing an open alliance with Israel and weakening India’s historic commitment to anti-colonial solidarity, particularly in relation to Palestine and Iran,” he said.
Mr. Ram said the most striking manifestation of India’s foreign policy transformation is its changing stance on the Palestinian struggle. “India can be historically proud of being one of the most consistent supporters of Palestinian rights in the developing world. So while the Indian government today formally supports a two-state solution, the political significance of that position has been undermined, sabotaged,” he said.
He further stated that the government has avoided any serious criticism of Israeli policy and has prioritized strategic cooperation with Israel over political support for Palestinian self-determination. “And this reflects the erosion of anti-colonial internationalism in our regime. The language of solidarity with oppressed people has been replaced by the language of security partnerships, technological cooperation and geopolitical balancing,” he said.
Commenting on India’s relationship with the US, he said: “Of course we know what happened with our oil imports from Russia and the shameful headline in every major Indian newspaper: ‘US allows India to import Russian oil for 30 days.’ So we have become a subordinate partner or ally of the United States on all these issues.”
Ms. Chisti said that current developments have clearly brought a very intact, back to basics, colonialism and imperialism. “It’s really just about annexation, in the way we read in the history books, in a very 19th century, predatory, basic way. So I think the whole phrase ‘neo’ can be safely discarded now because we’re dealing with colonialism 101, a very basic form of colonialism,” she said.
Mr. Aguilera again said that the President of the United States had threatened Cuba with military action. “My friends, in Cuba we take this scenario very seriously. And we have been preparing for it not just now, not yesterday, but for more than 65 years… Trump is saying ‘I will take Cuba’. Cuba cannot be taken, believe me. Cuba is not a toy. Cuba is very proud of our history, independence and our heroes.”
He said that Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and Palestine are not alone. “People in our countries have millions of people in the world who are completely determined to express their solidarity and reject American aggression. Let Cuba live in peace, hands off Cuba, drop the blockade. Cuba will win,” he said.
Published – 29 March 2026 22:14 IST
