Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said that India must not accept the United States’ invitation to join its proposed Board of Peace, which Washington has described as a global initiative to resolve conflicts, initially focusing on Gaza.
The US has invited India and Pakistan, among about 60 countries, to join the board proposed by President Donald Trump. It was not clear whether New Delhi has agreed to join the initiative.
Pakistan will join the board, Reuters quoted the country’s foreign ministry as saying on Wednesday.
Vijayan said that the Board of Peace seeks to override the United Nations and other existing international structures, adding that participating in the initiative that “disregards Palestinian rights” would be a “grave betrayal” of the Palestinian cause.
“India must stand in defence of the Global South against US imperial ambitions,” the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader added on social media.
India’s longstanding position has been to support a two-state solution for establishing a sovereign, viable and independent state of Palestine within recognised and mutually agreed borders, living alongside Israel in peace.
The chief minister also referred to a joint statement issued on Wednesday by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, the All India Forward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party, adding that this was a call to action.
In their statement, the five Left parties urged the Indian government not to accept the position on the board. The parties added that the US’ attempt to override existing international institutions must be opposed.
The Joint Statement issued by the Left parties today is a call to action. India must not accept the US-offered position on the 'Board of Peace' which seeks to override the UN and existing international structures. Participating in such a board, which disregards Palestinian…
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) January 21, 2026 A contribution of $1 billion secures permanent membership on the board instead of a three-year appointment, AP had quoting an unidentified US official as saying on Monday. The three-year appointment does not require any contribution.
The Board of Peace will be part of the second phase of a US-backed ceasefire proposal between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. A UN Security Council resolution in November authorised the Board of Peace to oversee Gaza at least until the end of 2027.
The 60 countries invited by Trump include Turkey, Egypt, Argentina, Indonesia, Italy, Morocco, Britain, Germany, Canada and Australia.
Sharing Trump’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media on Sunday, the US ambassador to New Delhi, Sergio Gor, said that the board “will support effective governance to achieve stability and prosperity”.
In the letter dated December 16, Trump said the board was a “critically historic and magnificent effort to solidify peace” in West Asia and to embark on a “bold new approach to resolving global conflict”.
The US president also said that the initiative “will be established as a new International Organization and Transitional Governing Administration”.
“Our effort will bring together a distinguished group of nations ready to shoulder the noble responsibility of building lasting peace, an honour reserved for those prepared to lead by example, and brilliantly invest in a secure and prosperous future for generations to come,” the letter added.
Israel’s military offensive in Gaza began in October 2023 after Hamas killed 1,200 persons during its incursion into southern Israel and took hostages. Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on besieged Gaza since then, leaving more than 70,000 persons dead.
Also read: India’s discernible shift away from Palestine
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