“From Cochin to Jerusalem: Why Abraham Barak Salem’s Story Matters as Modi Lands in Israel”, My Ind Maker, February 26, 2026

“As Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertakes a state visit to Israel — a partnership that has evolved into one of the most dynamic strategic relationships of the contemporary era — it is worth pausing to remember a lesser-known Bhartiya figure who embodied an earlier civilisational bridge between the Malabar coast and Jerusalem: Abraham Barak Salem. Long before defence agreements, technology partnerships and diplomatic symbolism defined India–Israel ties, Salem’s life reflected a deeper human and cultural connection that unfolded quietly within the historic Jewish community of Kochi.

History often celebrates dramatic revolutions — wars against empires, struggles against colonial power, or mass political upheavals. Yet some of the most profound transformations begin far from the glare of political spectacle, within communities that appear outwardly harmonious but carry invisible hierarchies. In the layered civilisational landscape of Kerala, one such story emerged not in opposition to a foreign ruler but within an ancient religious society itself. At the centre of this moral struggle stood Abraham Barak Salem (1882–1967) — lawyer, nationalist, reformer and the first voice of resistance from the marginalised Brown Jewish community of Kochi, whose quiet satyagraha reshaped the social fabric of Kerala’s Jews.

Salem’s life was a testament to the courage required to confront injustice when it is defended in the name of tradition. His struggle was not against the colonial state but against inherited hierarchies sustained by custom, ritual and social memory…….”

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