Sonam Wangchuk, an Indian activist and educationist, has been forcibly removed from his protest site after a 20-day hunger strike in support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online satirical movement demanding educational reforms. This incident has sparked concern and sparked a debate about the state of democracy in India.
Wangchuk, a 59-year-old man, had been protesting in the scorching summer, consuming nothing but salt and water, and had lost over 9kg. His health was deteriorating, and he was in a lot of pain. The CJP founder, Abhijeet Dipke, has now begun an indefinite fast in his place, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The protest site on Saturday saw chaos when dozens of police and paramilitary personnel swooped in on the stage where Wangchuk was lying down. Protesters who tried to stop them were pushed away, and Wangchuk was covered with curtains of bedsheets before being removed. He was then taken to Safdarjung Hospital, where his wife, Gitanjali Angmo, posted on X that he should not be administered anything orally or intravenously without her consent.
The hospital said doctors were examining him, and an official press note would be issued shortly. A top police official, Sachin Sharma, stated that Wangchuk had been moved 'in compliance with a court order, and based on health conditions and medical advice'. The Delhi High Court had ordered the federal government to monitor Wangchuk's health regularly and provide necessary treatment if needed.
Wangchuk had refused to end his indefinite hunger strike despite growing calls for him to do so. He had been insisting on participating in the march to parliament on Monday. In a statement, he said, 'I've grown weak from the outside but I'm strong from within.' The activist then joked that if he died before the march, his 'ghost would join the march'.
The CJP began in May as an online satirical movement to protest against paper leaks and other irregularities in India's top exams. It has gained a massive following on social media, with members of some student organizations joining Wangchuk in his fast. The protesters are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after a key entrance exam for aspiring doctors was cancelled in early May following a paper leak. They say the minister must take moral responsibility and quit.
The CJP and its supporters have been dismissed as 'the B-team of disruptive elements' by Pradhan, and the Modi government has not engaged with the protesters yet. Following Saturday's action, the CJP also demanded Modi's resignation. MPs from several opposition parties condemned the action against Wangchuk, describing it as 'shocking coercive state violence' and 'an assault on democracy'.
The incident has raised questions about the state of democracy in India and the government's response to peaceful protests. It has also sparked a debate about the role of civil society leaders and the opposition in engaging with protesters. The pressure from the opposition and civil society leaders for the government to engage with the protesters is growing, and it remains to be seen how the government will respond to this growing movement.
