In a powerful show of solidarity, close to 100 students gathered at the Sabarmati T-Point in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Thursday evening for a public meeting organised by the student collective JNU for Palestine. The meeting aimed to express support for the Palestinian people’s right to national self-determination and to raise awareness against what the organisers termed as the “Israeli occupation, use of starvation as a weapon of subjugation, and the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
Banners, Chants, and a Unified Message
The demonstration began with a powerful opening speech by Prof. Nivedita Menon. “Palestine belongs to Palestinians, and Israel is an apartheid state,” she declared, drawing attention from the gathering. Prof. Nivedita Menon carried conviction as she went on to denounce what she described as systematic efforts to erase an entire people. “They are destroying the Palestinian people. We have to pick up their flags and speak for them. “How is Palestinian land taken over?” she asked, before answering: “By military strategy, forced with guns and bombs, by demolishing Palestinian lands.”
Throughout the evening, the atmosphere at Sabarmati T-Point was charged with emotion and purpose. Students stood shoulder to shoulder, holding banners emblazoned with bold messages: “JNU for Palestine,” and “Spirit of Palestine”
A History of Campus Activism
JNU has long been regarded as a hub for student activism in India, with students historically taking up positions on both national and international issues. The JNU for Palestine campaign situates itself within this legacy, drawing support from student groups across the ideological spectrum.
The public meeting comes amid growing international outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where over 62, 000 people have reportedly been killed since the escalation of Israeli military actions in late 2024. International human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have raised alarms over alleged war crimes and the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure.
Gaza Death Toll Surpasses 62,000
The death toll in Gaza has climbed to 62,263 since the beginning of Israel’s military assault on the enclave in October 2023, according to the latest figures released Friday by the Palestinian Health Ministry.
In the last 24 hours alone, 71 Palestinians were killed and 251 injured, pushing the overall number of wounded to 157,365 as the war enters its eleventh month.
The ministry also confirmed two additional deaths from starvation and malnutrition, including one child. This brings the total number of famine-related deaths to 273, among them 112 children, underscoring the dire humanitarian conditions in the besieged territory.
“Many victims remain buried under the rubble or lying in the streets,” the ministry stated, adding that ongoing airstrikes and a critical lack of rescue equipment continue to prevent emergency teams from reaching large areas impacted by the bombardment.
