Sonam Wangchuk to End Hunger Strike on Two Conditions, Wife Announces
New Delhi: Activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk is set to end his hunger strike on Monday, July 20, if political leaders meet him at Safdarjung Hospital and assure him that the issue of education accountability will be raised during the monsoon session of Parliament, his wife Gitanjali Angmo announced on Sunday.
Angmo made the announcement from the stage of the protest site at Jantar Mantar, flanked by members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is leading the protest against alleged irregularities in the NEET exam and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“If political leaders meet Sonam at the hospital and assure him that they will raise the issue of education accountability during the Monsoon Session, he will end his hunger strike tomorrow,” Angmo said.
The announcement came a day after Delhi Police officials forcefully admitted Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital, following three weeks of fasting at the CJP protest site. Angmo said she had tried to have him shifted to a private hospital through the High Court but was unsuccessful.
“Sonam’s health is perfectly fine. I tried my best in the high court to have him shifted to a private hospital, but I could not succeed,” she told news agency PTI.
Angmo also conveyed Wangchuk’s appeal to supporters ahead of the CJP’s proposed ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on Monday, urging them to maintain peace and discipline. “Sonam has requested all of us to take out tomorrow’s march peacefully and ensure that the protest is not misused,” she said.
The proposed march coincides with the opening day of the monsoon session of Parliament, which will continue until August 13. Delhi Police have stated that they neither received any request for permission nor granted one for the march.
Over the past few weeks, the agitation has received support from several opposition leaders and student organisations. The Delhi High Court has been monitoring Wangchuk’s medical condition through periodic status reports. Wangchuk is continuing his fast at the hospital, refusing to receive any drip, according to Angmo and the CJP.
