New Delhi: Sonam Wangchuk is also hopping on the wired earphones trend. The activist, who is on day 6 of his indefinite hunger strike, shared that he lost his beloved earphones and is now looking for a replacement.
Wangchuk’s health has deteriorated as a result of his strike. The message started by reassuring people that he is alright: “I’m still fine, but it’s very noisy here.”
“I used to have these noise-cancelling wired earphones (Quiet Comfort 20 by BOSE). But I lost it during travel. And the model is so old that it’s discontinued & nowhere available for sale. If any of you know of someone who has these lying unused in some cupboard, please let us know in comments or DM, I’ll be happy to pay the appropriate price,” he wrote.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) member went on to say that he was not looking for wireless or Bluetooth earphones.
Wangchuk’s post has since received over one million views, with hundreds of reshares. However, the post also drew sharp criticism from many.
“There are several Indian companies that offer similar audio products. Is there a particular reason for giving attention to an American brand? Also, the cost of these headphones is equivalent to what many families in India spend on essential food supplies for months,” wrote one X user.
While one reminded him that he was at a protest and not a picnic, another expressed shock at the exorbitant price of the original. One user asked, “So the voice of fellow protesters is disturbing you?”
“@Wangchuk66 Movements like this aren’t run that way, nor does someone just become a revolutionary… One has to face hardships head-on… Gandhi & Bhagat Singh didn’t become who they were just like that… You want to become one too, that’s why you’re sitting on this hunger strike, so then bear the voice… Can’t you do even this much for the country?” posted one user.
One user said that asking for such luxuries while in the midst of a protest sends out the wrong message.
“While you are fighting for a cause, posting about lost Bose QuietComfort earphones feels off. Protests are noisy by nature; that’s part of the sacrifice. Seeking luxury wired headphones in the middle of it sends the wrong message. The people you are advocating for don’t have such options,” the post read.
Some, meanwhile, are wondering if this is a PR stunt by Bose itself. One X user suggested that Wangchuk simply use cotton buds.
The tragedy in India is that it expects good people to be saints or ascetics while not batting a single eye towards the ill gotten wealth of criminals, unscrupulous or unethical people.