New Delhi: Veteran actor Zeenat Aman, Abhay Deol, 3 Idiots actor Omi Vaidya and Punjabi singer Ravinder Singh have backed educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk as his indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar entered its 17th day on Tuesday.
In an Instagram post, Aman quoted a report saying Wangchuk had “started losing muscle mass and is in immense pain,” and recalled his response when asked to end the fast: “Don’t ask me to end my fast. Ask the government why they won’t even have a dialogue.”
Wangchuk joined a protest led by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak.
Zeenat Aman described Wangchuk as the founder of Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh NGO, inventor of the ice stupa, a harbinger of educational reform in Ladakh, an environmental and community activist, and the inspiration for Aamir Khan’s character Phunsukh Wangdu in 3 Idiots (2009).
“With respect to Mr. Wangchuk’s wishes, I implore the Indian government to open dialogue on this matter that concerns the future of all India. We must not become a society that sits back and watches one of its greatest minds be sacrificed. India has a long history of peaceful protest; those who wield power are obliged to meet such protest with peaceful dialogue,” she wrote.
Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur Ramalingam in 3 Idiots, also took to social media, posting a video on Instagram to say he didn’t want Phunsukh Wangdu to die. He reminded his followers that the character played by Aamir Khan was based on Wangchuk, whom he described as a Ladakhi engineer, innovator, educator and reformer.
“I have met this guy. He’s a pretty interesting character. He has done some pretty incredible stuff in his life,” Vaidya said of Wangchuk.
Singer Ravinder Singh, popularly known as Kaka, visited the protest site on Friday. He met Wangchuk, enquired about his health and interacted with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and others gathered at Jantar Mantar.
The Punjabi singer also performed at the protest, singing lines that reflected the demonstrators’ distrust of the media.
“Taarif teri vich khabraan saariyaan jhootiyan likhda ae, ese karke aapa koi akhbaar nahi lende (All the news is filled with false praises of you, which is why none of us buy the newspaper),” he sang.
Actor Abhay Deol, too, shared a photograph of Wangchuk from the protest site on Instagram Tuesday, adding a broken-heart emoji.
A day earlier, actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, writer Arundhati Roy and filmmaker Sanjay Kak were among a group of public figures who appealed to Wangchuk and other protesters to end their fast amid concerns about their health.
“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.” they said in a joint statement.
Wangchuk began his indefinite hunger strike on 28 June in support of students alleging irregularities in the NEET-UG examination. According to organisers, he has lost 8.5 kg during the fast.
The protesters are demanding Pradhan’s resignation and compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide following the controversy. Jantar Mantar protest organisers have also announced a peaceful march to Parliament on 20 July, the opening day of the Monsoon Session.
(Edited by Prashant Dixit)