As climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike entered its 17th day on Tuesday (July 14), support for him continued to grow, with actor Umi Vaidya, best known for playing Chatur Ramalingam or ‘The Silencer’ in the Bollywood film 3 Idiots, urging people to pay attention to the cause Wangchuk is fighting for.
In a video shared on Instagram, Vaidya made an emotional plea, saying, “I don’t want Phonsukh Wangdu to die,” referring to the beloved character from 3 Idiots based on Wangchuk’s life.
This appeal came while Wangchuk’s health remained under close monitoring. According to updates on the protest website, he has lost 8.5 kg of weight since the beginning of the hunger strike, while his blood pressure has reached 109/70.
“He did incredible things.”
Recalling his interaction with Wangchuk, Vidya described him as an inspiring and humble person and urged people to know more about his work and current campaign.
“I met this guy. He’s a very interesting character. He’s done some amazing things in his life and he seems very humble, which is kind of cool,” Vaidya said.
Wangchuk is on a hunger strike demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the wake of the NEET-UG paper leak, which sparked a social media-driven political movement under the banner of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). Tuesday also marks the 25th day since the organization launched its protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
Encouraging people to educate themselves on the issue, he added, “I suggest you look for him and see what he is up to because he is now on a long hunger strike. It has been several weeks, and his blood sugar level has dropped dramatically.”
Vidya also expressed her concern that this issue may not receive enough attention.
“Whether you agree with him or not”
The actor said support for Wangchuk should transcend political or ideological differences.
“Whether you agree with him or not, I really don’t want this guy to die,” he added. “I think he’s an impressive person and I would like him to live.”
Vaidya said the concerns raised by Wangchuk could affect ordinary people and their families as well.
“We’re just normal people with normal lives and sometimes we’re too busy to deal with these things. But if you look at these issues, I think you might agree and you might see yourself having the same problems, or your family members or your friends, or maybe you’ve had these problems in the past.”
Leaders come out to support
Wangchuk and Abhijit Debaki’s CJP received support from leaders from across the political spectrum as the protest continued in Delhi. Several political leaders visited the protest site in recent days and expressed their solidarity with the movement.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra appealed to Wangchuk to end his hunger strike while continuing the campaign. An AAP delegation led by former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi visited the protest site on Monday and extended support to the agitators.
The movement also received support from former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who expressed his support for the movement and its demands. Separately, Communist Party of India MP Amra Ram, along with senior party leaders from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, visited the protest venue and supported the campaign.
The CJP began its protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 20, and Wangchuk joined the demonstration on June 28. He has been on an indefinite hunger strike since then.
The group demands the resignation of Education Minister Pradhan W $Rs 1 crore compensation to the families of students who allegedly died by suicide after alleged examination irregularities.
The group also announced a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, the opening day of the monsoon session.
