A protest was held against the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) on Monday, September 23, condemning the institution for hosting the India-Israel Business Summit amid ongoing violence by Israel in Palestine and Lebanon. The protest was organised by the Bengaluru Palestine Solidarity (BPS).
The protesters, who included activists and academicians, expressed their objections to the involvement of IISC, along with other institutions such as IIM Bangalore, IIIT Bangalore, NIAS, and the Government of Karnataka, in supporting the summit during a time of heightened conflict.
The summit, organised by Think India, the Indian Chamber of International Business, and the Mysore Lancers Heritage Foundation, is set to discuss bilateral trade and investments between India and Israel, with specific focus areas including defence and cybersecurity, startups and venture capital, and sustainable technology.
The protesters opposed IISC’s decision to host the event, particularly given Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, which have resulted in the deaths and injuries of thousands. They said that by hosting the summit, IISC and other participating institutions were ignoring global calls for a boycott and arms embargo against Israel, and undermining international principles of justice and human rights.
BPS also condemned the Bengaluru police who allegedly threatened to disrupt the event. The police allowed the protest to continue, only after seizing the Palestine flag from them.
“When Aishwarya from Bangalore for Justice and Peace, started to address the media, the police interrupted the event. They insisted that the Palestinian flag be removed, and attempted to shut down the press conference. The flag was snatched from one of the protesters' hands. Only after it, the press conference was allowed to be continued,” the one of the protesters told TNM.
Condemning IISC’s association with Israel, amid accusations of its human rights violations, Clifton D’ Rozario, General Secretary of All India Lawyers Association for Justice (AILAJ), said, “We are witnessing a genocide in Palestine, with women and children being killed, and yet our institutions are partnering with Israel for business. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has directed states not to engage with Israel on these grounds, and it's deeply troubling that IISC continues to facilitate such events.”
"Today, Palestine has become a testing ground for Israel's weapons. Do we not have a moral spine? Palestinian people have the right to exist. This is not business as usual; it's about the future of our young minds, and we are deeply pained by this and stand firmly against this,” said Madhu Bhushan, a feminist activist.
Earlier, a group of over 1,600 students and faculty members from universities across India and abroad had also urged the IISC in Bengaluru to cancel the India-Israel Business Summit. The letter, addressed to IISC Director Govindan Rangarajan, expressed strong opposition to the event, arguing that hosting it would equate to "direct support for Israel's genocide in Palestine and its aggressive actions against its neighbors."
The letter spoke of the devastating impact of Israel's ongoing genocidal war in Gaza. “As you know, Israel is currently engaged in a brutal war. In this campaign, Israel has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children. A report in the Lancet suggested that the true casualties might be four times higher, which would amount to about 10% of Gaza's total population. Israel has destroyed every University in Gaza. It has also destroyed healthcare facilities, leading to the resurgence of diseases such as polio. The World Food Agency estimates that 96% of Gazans are facing food insecurity. Alongside, Israel has also launched brutal raids on the West Bank and just this last week, Israel engaged in terrorist attacks in Lebanon by remotely detonating electronic devices, many of which were in civilian areas,” the letter said.
The students and faculty members further referred to a July ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which determined that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is in violation of international law and must end as soon as possible. The letter expressed particular concern over the summit's planned focus on defense and cybersecurity, which, according to the signatories, would provide a platform to "legitimize genocide and colonialism."