Congress urges activist Sonam Wangchuk to end hunger strike

The Congress on Thursday urged activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his hunger strike in Delhi.

Wangchuk’s fast is part of the protest by the political campaign Cockroach Janta Party to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on account of alleged mismanagement in conducting competitive exams.

Wangchuk began the hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on June 28.

Congress leader KC Venugopal said the Opposition party had also been demanding Pradhan’s resignation for more than a month and a half.

“We share the anguish and outrage that Shri Wangchuk ji feels, especially due to the lack of accountability within the Modi government – for the collapse of the examination system in particular,” the Congress’ organisation secretary said on social media.

The Congress leader said that in view of Wangchuk’s health condition, the party was appealing to him to end his fast.

“His concerns are our concerns and that of other Opposition parties as well,” Venugopal said. “Rest assured, we will continue to confront the Modi government and demand the education minister’s resignation.”

This was the first comment about Wangchuk’s protest by the largest Opposition party, which, along with its allies, has separately been demanding Pradhan’s resignation.

On Tuesday, Abhijeet Dipke, who founded the campaign, said that after more than two weeks of hunger strike, Wangchuk had started losing muscle mass and was in “immense pain”.

Dipke said that he had “begged him to end his fast”. He quoted Wangchuk as having asked in response why the Union government was not willing to hold a dialogue with the protesters.

On Thursday, Wangchuk’s physician told reporters that the activist had lost more than 9 kg since beginning his fast.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court directed the Centre and the Delhi government to ensure that Wangchuk’s health and medical condition is monitored daily. The bench court added that any medical intervention required to improve the activist’s health should be undertaken by the government.

The court’s orders came on a petition by a lawyer and activist seeking its intervention to end Wangchuk’s fast, citing health concerns.

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On Wednesday, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had urged Wangchuk to end his fast.

“You have awakened the conscience of the nation; that is what a fast is meant to do,” Tharoor said on social media. “India needs your voice for the long road ahead.”

The Congress MP had said that with the Monsoon Session of Parliament starting on Monday, “we will have an opportunity to raise the students’ issues in the highest forum of our democracy”.

On Wednesday and Thursday, several Opposition leaders such as Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’s Prakash Ambedkar and Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav visited Wangchuk at the protest site.

Some other politicians as well as actors and comedians have expressed support for Wangchuk on social media.

On Tuesday, more than 1,800 members of civil society urged Wangchuk to withdraw his hunger strike, citing concerns about the protesters’ health. The signatories that include academics, artists and activists said that the Union government “does not have a heart or a conscience” and that the fast should be ended “in the interests of the longer and more difficult struggle” ahead.

Written by Nachiket Deuskar. Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.

Also read:

• Why India’s Opposition parties should be worried about the cockroach movement
• ‘We want accountability’: Voices from the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest in Pune