CPI(M) leader M.A. Baby proposes 'digital satyagraha' in solidarity with Gaza
Urges people to switch off phones, laptops daily for 30 minutes as symbolic protest
New Delhi: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary M.A. Baby has called for a week-long ‘digital satyagraha’ as a symbolic protest against the ongoing war in Gaza. Beginning Saturday, Baby has urged citizens to switch off all digital devices, including mobile phones and computers, every night from 9 pm to 9:30 pm.
Describing the act as a modern adaptation of traditional Gandhian protest, the senior CPI(M) leader appealed for “30 minutes of digital silence” to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, who continue to suffer amid war and starvation. The digital satyagraha, he said, aims to register dissent against what he termed “a genocide being carried out by Israel in occupied Gaza.”
M.A. Baby’s announcement comes in the wake of a report by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, which listed 48 major technology companies including Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM, as entities allegedly profiting from the Gaza conflict. The report is said to have identified over 1,000 corporate actors linked to the war economy.
“In this context, this digital fast is all the more relevant,” Baby posted on social media platform X. He added that refraining from messages, social media, and comments, even briefly, could be a powerful tool of resistance.
A veteran Marxist leader and former Education and Culture Minister of Kerala, Baby has served in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Seen as a close aide and successor to CPI(M) senior leader Sitaram Yechury, Baby’s latest initiative combines ideological consistency with contemporary tools of protest.
The digital satyagraha also aligns with the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which targets corporations allegedly complicit in the Israeli occupation. The CPI(M) leader’s call joins a rising wave of international appeals for a ceasefire in Gaza and greater corporate accountability.
This protest comes at a time when humanitarian aid to Gaza remains blocked, with international agencies repeatedly warning of a deepening crisis in the besieged territory.
Earlier this week, the Maldives government also made headlines by announcing a ban on Israeli passport holders entering the country, calling it an act of “resolute solidarity” with Palestinians.
A digital satyagraha for #Gaza
— M A Baby (@MABABYCPIM) July 5, 2025
A strong statement must be made that we ordinary citizens, too, can do something against the genocide being carried out by Israel in occupied Gaza.
From 9 pm tonight, for one week, every day from 9 to 9:30, we request all those who believe in…
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Punishment for those disrupting assembly proceedings, warns Speaker UT Khader
Belagavi: Speaker U.T. Khader on Friday warned that members who disrupt Assembly proceedings by talking in their seats during debates will be made to sit in the House for an entire day as a disciplinary measure.
The warning came after the Question Hour, when Deputy Leader of the Opposition Arvind Bellad was permitted to initiate a discussion on the development of North Karnataka.
At this point, expelled BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal objected, stating that he had been seeking a debate for the past three days but had not been given an opportunity.
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Responding to the objection, Speaker Khader said Bellad had already been granted permission and assured Yatnal that he would be allowed to speak at the next opportunity. He noted that even as a serious discussion was underway, several MLAs were speaking among themselves with their microphones on, disrupting the proceedings.
Expressing displeasure over the conduct of members, Khader likened the situation to football, where players receive red, yellow, or white cards for violations. Similarly, he said, the Assembly issues warning cards to members who disturb the House. If they fail to correct themselves despite repeated warnings, they would be required to remain seated in the Assembly hall for a full day as punishment, he stated.
