As Israel targets Hezbollah, Lebanon envoy to India Cites Mahatma Gandhi
'You can kill a revolutionary, not the revolution'
New Delhi, Oct 9: Following Israel's announcement of the killing of Hassan Nasrallah's successors, Lebanon's Ambassador to India Rabie Narsh cited Mahatma Gandhi's words and said Hezbollah is a legitimate political party supported by the people and cannot be eliminated.
"I am reminded of Mahatma Gandhi's words: You can kill a revolutionary, but you cannot kill the revolution. You can eliminate the leaders of Hezbollah, but you cannot eliminate Hezbollah, because it is the people on the ground. It is not an imaginary structure that came to Lebanon by parachute," the ambassador said in an interview with PTI Videos.
Narsh added that Hezbollah embodies a movement against the "rogue state" of Israel and cannot be crushed by eliminating its leaders.
In a video message on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country's forces have effectively targeted and eliminated potential successors to the recently deceased Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah formally came into existence in 1985 to resist the "Israeli invasion of Lebanon".
"Hezbollah operates within the established political system in Lebanon. They are a political party, represented in both the cabinet and the parliament," the ambassador said, noting that Hezbollah also has an armed wing.
The Lebanese ambassador said the brutal war waged by Israel, involving advanced weaponry and banned munitions, has left over 2,100 dead, 11,000 injured, and 2.2 million individuals displaced, creating a dire humanitarian situation in Lebanon.
"The situation is escalating and spiralling toward what may become an all-out regional war. Unfortunately, we are facing this troubling stage of conflict because Israel has not been held accountable for its criminal policies, war crimes, and expansionist actions against its neighbours," the ambassador said.
Narsh said Lebanon has been urging world capitals, including New Delhi, since October last year to prevent the conflict from escalating into a regional war.
Amid the rise in Israeli attacks, French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced that France will host an international conference this month to raise humanitarian aid for Lebanon and improve security in its southern regions.
"We are currently organising medical supplies to Lebanon from India, including medicines and medical equipment," the ambassador said.
He called upon India to exert more pressure on Israel to comply with international laws and UN resolutions.
"Netanyahu is out of control, engaged in killing and a destruction spree, which is very dangerous. Someone has to stop Netanyahu," he said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
