India on Tuesday came out with a more cogent stance on Egypt by terming the mass protests an “articulation of the aspirations of the Egyptian people for reform.”
“It is hoped that the current situation will be resolved in a peaceful manner, in the best interests of the people of Egypt. India wishes that Egypt, a fellow developing country with which she enjoys close and traditional ties, will continue to be a strong and stable nation, contributing to peace and prosperity in the region,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
Buffeted by criticism from former diplomats and strategic analysts, the Indian position of sympathising with the street protests in several Egyptian cities was an improvement over the previous MEA statement of January 30.
The earlier statement merely observed that India was “closely following with concern” the developments in Egypt. “India has traditionally enjoyed close and friendly relations. We hope for an early and peaceful resolution of the situation without further violence and loss of lives,” it said.
Take clear stand: Left
K.V. Prasad reports:
The Left parties have expressed support for the people of Egypt and urged the Union government to take a clear stand endorsing the will of the people.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India said the three-decade Mubarak regime was marked by authoritarianism, suppression of democratic rights, corruption, and being an agent of the United States in the region.
“U.S. must be warned”
The CPI(M) said the U.S., which was notorious for engineering “regime change” in countries that did not act at its behest, should be warned not to interfere with the will of the people of Egypt.
“The Egyptian people will not accept anything less than the immediate removal of Mubarak from power. It is only with this step that there can be a transition to a democratic set-up based on the wishes of the people,” a CPI(M) Polit Bureau statement said.
The CPI said the demonstration by the people, in their thousands, expressed their hatred for the imperialist domination of their country and the entire West Asia.
“Hosni Mubarak, much against the will and traditions of the Egyptian people, has betrayed the cause of the Palestinian people and continues to collaborate with Israel in suppressing the legitimate struggles of the Palestinian people for an independent state,” the CPI Central Secretariat said in a statement.
The party said it hoped that the will of the Egyptian people would prevail and that the demand for the removal of Mr. Mubarak would be heeded without any delay, paving the way for a regime change without any “imperialist interference.”
