Members and representatives of various communities hit the city streets today demanding an end to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and resumption of peace in the region. This was the first such demonstration by the clerics and members of various religions under one banner in Kolkata against the war between Hamas and Israel.

Representatives of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christians under the banner of ‘Friends of Palestine’ staged a demonstration demanding earliest return of peace in the region.

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The demonstrators strongly advocated for bringing an end to the war and prevailing of peace which was the utmost requirement to save innocent lives in the war zone.

“Our only demand is peace and not war,” said Bishop Peter Alok Mukherjee, chairman National Christian minority forum in the state.

“War cannot be a solution to any problem. Only peace can solve issues. We appeal to everyone, particularly to the people of Israel to stop the war and resume peace so that people of Palestine do not suffer any more,” added the bishop.

Echoing Bishop Mukherjee, Swami Parmananda Maharaj of Ramakrishna Mission, said, “Brutalities and injustice cannot be a solution but peace. An end to the war is what we call for.”

Representing the Sikh community, Jitendar Pal Singh, vice president of Human Aids, said: “It is not the time to see who did what. The need of the hour is stopping the war.”

Talking about India’s stand on the war, West Bengal president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Masihur Rahman, said: “It has been decades since Israel has captured Palestine and the place has become an open jail for citizens.” “We strongly condemn the kind of aggression Israel has shown in the war. Israel is attacking Gaza with brutalities and has killed so many innocent citizens. We want the Indian government to act as an intermediary in bringing an end to the war. Instead of supporting Israel, India should follow similar foreign policies like it had in the previous wars during the times of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru,” he said.

Apart from clerics of the four religions, the protesters included a considerable number of women who took to the streets of Kolkata to raise their voice against the alleged brutalities inflicted upon the victims of the war. From home-makers to professionals and members of the women wing of Jamaat-eIslami Hind, they staged a sitin protest against brutalities against women and children in Gaza.