Omi Vaidya Naseeruddin Shah Urge Sonam Wangchuk To End Hunger Strike Phunsuk Wangdu May Die

Educationist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike has entered its 17th day at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. It is a part of the protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the leak of NEET-UG questions. As per the latest updates, Wangchuk has lost 8.5 kgs till now, and his blood pressure has dipped to 109/70. As support for Wangchuk continues to grow, celebs from the film industry have urged him to end the strike. 3 Idiots’ actor — the film’s protagonist was inspired by Wangchuk — Omi Vaidya has urged people to support the cause.

Writer Arundhati Roy, actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, and economist Jayati Ghosh, urged Wangchuk to end the strike, while extending their support for the cause. In a joint statement on Monday, they said that they were “immensely grateful” to the protesters for fighting against the government, but expressed concern over their detoriating health.

“We salute your sense of purpose, the determination and courage with which you are spearheading this movement for students and youth across the country,” the statement read, according to PTI. Appealing to the protesters, they added, “We request you to please consider ending this hunger strike immediately in the interests of the longer and more difficult struggle ahead. This battle is a marathon, not a sprint, and we need you, your strength and leadership in the days to come.”

The signatories shared that they are worried the silence to the demands from the government’s side could further worsen the health of those on hunger strike. “We worry that their negligence in responding to your demands will only worsen the already fragile state of health that many of you are in,” the statement concluded.

The appeal came on the 24th day of the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest at Jantar Mantar and the 16th day of Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike. AISA activist Deepak, who was also on a hunger strike since June 28, was admitted to the RML Hospital on Monday after his health deteriorated. The statement also appealed to the people of Delhi to participate in the CJP’s proposed march to Parliament on July 20.

Recalling their interaction, he said in the clip, “I’ve met this guy. He’s a pretty interesting character. He has done some incredible stuff in his life and he seems pretty humble, which is kind of fantastic. I suggest you look him up and see what he’s up to because right now he is on a very long hunger strike. It’s over many, many weeks and his blood sugar has gone down very much.”

The actor then mentioned that support for Wangchuk should go beyond political or ideological differences. “Whether you agree with him or not, I don’t really want this guy to die. I think he’s a pretty impressive person and I would like for him to live.”

“We’re just regular people and we have regular lives and sometimes we’re too busy to deal with this stuff. But if you look into these issues, I think that you may agree with him and you may see yourself having the same issues, or your family members or your friends, or maybe you’ve had these issues in the past,” Vaidya concluded.

Wangchuk and the Abhijeet Dipke’s CJP have drawn support from many political leaders as their strike continues in Delhi. The protest commenced on June 20, with Wangchuk joining the movement on June 28. The group is demanding the resignation of education minister Pradhan and Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide after leaked examination papers. They have also announced a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, which is the first day of the Monsoon Session.