500 civil resisters from 17 Asian countries will join the caravan from India and march through 18 Asian cities of Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey to break the siege of Gaza through the sea route in December 2010
The Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan is being organised by the Asian People’s Solidarity for Palestine, an alliance of peoples’ organisations, social movements, trade unions, and civil society institutions of Asia. This struggle is broad-based, varied and multi-dimensional. It is humanitarian and for peace, freedom and human dignity. It is against occupation, imperialism, apartheid, Zionism and all forms of discrimination including religious discrimination.
The Asian People’s Solidarity for Palestine extends solidarity to the courageous people of Palestine in their struggle, resistance, and intifada against the Zionist Israeli occupation and affirms its commitment to Palestinian Self-Determination; Ending the Occupation; Equal Rights for All within historic Palestine; the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees; and the Establishment of a Sovereign, Independent and Democratic state of Palestine with Jerusalem as the capital.
The Asian People’s Solidarity for Palestine commits to build the solidarity of Asian people for the freedom of Palestine, provide materials, resources, and volunteers to support the struggle of the people of Palestine and oppose our own governments’ decisions and actions that give economic, financial, military and diplomatic support to Israel and allow it to behave with impunity.
India Lifeline to Gaza, which is a constituent of the Asian People’s Solidarity for Palestine will have a conference and a large flag off programme in New Delhi on 2nd December 2010. The Caravan will carry relief material for the people of Gaza. The Asia to Gaza Caravan will cross into Pakistan via the Wagah border where members of the Pakistan Solidarity for Gaza will join the Caravan onwards to Iran. In every country and city that the caravan travels through, public meetings will be organised as more activists and participants join the caravan.
TENTATIVE CARAVAN SCHEDULE
01 DecemberParticipants from East and South East Asia reach New Delhi, India15 - 17 DecemberTabriz, Iran to Eskandarun, Turkey
2 - 3 DecemberFlag off from New Delhi
and travel to Wagah border, India-Pakistan Border18 - 19 DecemberEskandarun, Turkey to Damascus, Syria
04 DecemberReach Lahore, Pakistan20 - 21 DecemberDamascus, Syria to Amman Jordan
5 - 7 DecemberLahore to Karachi/Quetta, Pakistan22 - 23 DecemberAmman, Jordan to Beirut Lebanon
08 DecemberKarachi/Quetta, Pakistan to Zahedan, Iran24 - 26 DecemberBeirut back to Turkey
9 - 14 DecemberZahedan, Iran to Tabriz, Iran26 DecemberWe Sail for Gaza (Palestine)
Peaceful Resistance
The civil resisters have resolved to resist the Israeli sea siege in a peaceful manner and following the example of civil resisters such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela as well as the long tradition of peaceful resistance from all ethical and religious traditions. The civil resisters are willing to be convicted for their peaceful resistance.
India Lifeline to Gaza
This process has been initiated by Indian people’s movements, social movements, trade unions, civil society organisations and multi-faith and ecumenical organisations. In the two months prior to departure of the Asia to Gaza caravan there will be multi-city programmes in solidarity of the people of Gaza and Palestine. Film festivals of Palestinian films and films of resistance, music concerts, photo exhibits, and theatre productions are being organised by the supporters of the people of Gaza and Palestine.
Palestinian Film Festival: Celebrating Cultures of Resistance
A week-long film festival screening Palestinian films and documentaries is being planned across several cities of India in the last week of October (tentatively 23-30 October). Several other initiatives such as solidarity concerts, theatrical performances, photo exhibits, panel discussions and seminars will also be planned in the days leading up to the flag-off of the Caravan.
End the Siege of Gaza • Freedom to Palestine • Boycott Israel
Endorsed by:
Organisations
All India Students Association (AISA)
Aman Bharat
Asha Parivar
Awami Bharat
Bahujan Sewak Sangh
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)
Bharat Bachao Andolan
Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha
Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur)
Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha (Mazdoor Karyakarta Committee)
CPI(ML)
CPI-ML (New Democracy)
Forum against Oppression of Women
Free Gaza - India
Global Gandhi Forum
Indian Isladhi Movement
India Palestine People’s Solidarity Forum
Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU )
INHURED International (Nepal)
Insaaniyat
Intercultural Resources
Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Hind
Jamat-e-Islami-Hind
Loknaad
Mazdoor Ekta Manch
Muslim Intellectual Forum
Muslim Political Council of India
National Association of Peoples Movements (NAPM)
National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers (NFFPFW)
New Socialist Initiative (NSI)
New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI)
Palestine Solidarity Movement
People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)
Phule-Ambedkar Vichar Manch
Programme against Custodial Torture and Impunity (PACTI)
Progressive Students Union (PSU)
Republican Panther
Saheli Women’s Resource Centre
Sarva Seva Sangh
Solidarity Youth Movement
South Asia Peace Alliance (SAPA)
South Asian Network of Gender Activists and Trainers (SANGAT)
Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO)
Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI)
Vidyarthi Bharti
Yuva Koshish
All India Majlis-i-Mushawarrat
Individuals:
Achin Vanaik
Agdish Nagarkar
Amol Madame
Anand Grover
Anand Patwardhan
Anand Swaroop Verma
Anil Chaudhary
Arif Kapadia
Ashish Kothari
Asif Khan
Aslam Ghazi
Bajrang Sonawane
Brig. Sudhir Sawant
Chetna Birje
Ghazala Azad
Ihtishaam Ansari
Jai Sen
Javed Naqvi
Kabir Arora
Kalyani Menon-Sen, New Delhi
Khalid Riaz
Mukta Srivastava
Mukul Sinha
Mulniwasi Mala
Munawwar Azad
Munawwar Khan
Qurratulain Sundus
Reshma Jagtap
Ritu Menon
Rohini Hensman
Salman Usmani
Sandeep Pandey
Sanjay Shinde
Savyasaachi
Sayeed Khan
Sayeeda Hameed
Shabnam Hashmi
Shahid Siddiqui
Sheikh Muhammad Hussain
Shyam Sonar
Sudhir Dhawale
Sumi Saikia
Syed Iftikhar Ahed
Tusha Mittal
Varsha V V
Vasanthi Raman
Vilas Gaikwad
Winnie Thomas
Yawar Ali Qazi
Indian Coordination Committee:
1. Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, Editor, Milli Gazette / Majlis-i-Mushawarrat
2. Ashim Roy, National Trade Union Initiative and Member, Asian Coordination Committee
3. Feroze Mithiborwala, India Palestine People's Solidarity Forum and Member, Asian Coordination Committee
4. Com. Ramachandran, CPI-ML
5. Shahid Siddiqui, Editor, Nai Duniya and Ex-MP
6. Dr. Sunilam, Kisan Sangarsh Samiti and Ex-MLA
7. Com. Sanjay Singhvi, Trade Union Centre of India
8. Mujtaba Farooq, Jamat-i-Islami-i-Hind
9. Com. Tapas Ranjan Saha, CPIML-Liberation
10. Niaz Faruqi, Jamiatul-Ulema-i-Hind
11. Dr. Tasleem Rehmani, Muslim Political Council of India
12. Dr. Mrigank, CPI-ML-New Democracy
13. Com. Vasudevan, Blue Star Union
14. Com. Ravi Joshi, Indian Federation of Trade Unions
15. Com. Thomas Matthew, Bahujan Vampanth
16. Sandeep Pandey, National Alliance of People's Movements
17. Bhim Singh, Bahujan Sevak Sangh
18. Com. Aslam Sheikh, All India Students Association
19. Kishore Jagtap, Mahatma Phule-Dr. Ambedkar Vichar Manch
20. Shah Nawaz, Students Islamic Organization
21. Gauhar Iqbal, Palestine Solidarity Movement
