On the 20th death Anniversary of the great Hero of the Palestinian freedom Struggle,
Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Yasser Arafat, A world peace Interfaith prayer Meeting was organized for ending the war and for permanent peace in Palestine and Israel. Heartiest tributes were paid to the great hero of Palestine freedom struggle, Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Yasser Arafat. Paying tributes on the 20th death Anniversary of the great hero of the Palestinian freedom struggle, Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Yasser Arafat, International Peace Ambassador cum Secretary General Satyagraha Research Foundation Dr. Ejaz Ahmad Advocate, Dr. Suresh Kumar Agarwal Chancellor Pragyan International University, Dr. Shahnawaz Ali, Senior Journalist cum Founder Mother Tahira Charitable Trust Dr. Amanul Haque jointly said that the full name of late Dr. Yasser Arafat was Mohammad Abdul Rahman Abdul Rauf Arafat Alquwda Al Hussaini, who is better known by the popular name of Yasser Arafat. On this day 19 years ago, on 11 November 2004, Dr. Yasser Arafat died. He was a Palestinian leader and the President of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Arafat was the first person who was invited to give a speech at the United Nations despite not leading any Nation.
Under the leadership of late Arafat, his organization promoted peace instead of conflict. Arafat, who initially took the initiative of conflict away from peace, suddenly saw a change in his image in 1988. He appeared as a peace Ambassador at the United Nations. Later he was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was very close to India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru – Indira Gandhi. He Considered Indira Gandhi as his elder sister. During the 1991 election Campaign in India, he had warned Rajiv Gandhi about a deadly attack.On this occasion, the speakers said that he died on November 11, 2004. According to the Medical report, he died due to illness. Shortly after, Israel was accused of poisoning him. After this, the question arose whether his death was Natural or due to Poison. His body was also exhumed from the grave for investigation and Swiss scientists claimed that radioactive polonium-210 was found in the remains of his body. However, his death still remains a mystery for the people.
On this occasion, the speakers said that India has had a long-standing friendship with the Palestinian people. Mahatma Gandhi and India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru talked about the injustice done to the Palestinians in their writings and speeches. Gandhiji was against the partition of Palestine and used to say that Palestinians should not pay the price for the crimes of the Europeans. Till the early 1990s, New Delhi’s stance towards the Palestinian issue was principled. India has spoken out vociferously on behalf of Palestinians and Palestine independence in various international forums.
In the early years when the Palestine Liberation Organisation and its leader Dr Yasser Arafat were labelled “terrorists”, India permitted the PLO to open an office in its capital. In the early 1970s, delegations representing the PLO and its main Component Al Fatah began to visit India regularly and forged strong ties with the Indian Government.
Speakers on the occasion said Arafat had close political and personal ties with Indira Gandhi, whom he fondly called his “sister”, and Rajiv Gandhi, who succeeded his mother as Prime Minister. Because of his frequent visits to India, Arafat’s face became instantly recognisable to a man walking on the street in India. Palestinian leader Dr Yasser Arafat was present at the funerals of both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
Speakers on the occasion said that India was the first Non-Arab country to recognize the status of a Palestinian state. India was represented by External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. Speakers on the occasion said that Palestine will one day become an independent sovereign nation, a dream seen years ago by Mahatma Gandhi, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Dr. Yasser Arafat, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, late Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mother Teresa and our forefathers.
