Indian activist on hunger strike at 'cockroach' protest loses 8.2kg
"I'm weak from the outside, but I'm strong from inside." That's what a frail-looking Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a protest hunger strike in
"I'm weak from the outside, but I'm strong from inside." That's what a frail-looking Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a protest hunger strike in the Indian capital, Delhi, for the past 16 days, told the BBC on Monday. According to the latest health bulletin released on Monday morning, Wangchuk "has lost 8.2kg [18lb], his blood pressure is 107 by 70 and his sugar levels are down to 67". His worsening health parameters are causing serious alarm among his supporters, with thousands appealing to him to end his fast.
But Wangchuk, 59, remains steadfast. "I have to take what I've begun to its logical conclusion," he said. The protest at Jantar Mantar - an 18th Century astronomical observatory and the capital's best-known protest site - was started by an online satirical movement called the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) who are demanding educational reforms in India. Led by founder Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP's immediate demand is the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after a key entrance exam for aspiring doctors was cancelled in early May following a paper leak.
The protesters say Pradhan must take moral responsibility for the leak and quit. Pradhan has refused to quit, dismissing, external CJP and its supporters as "the B-team of disruptive elements" who "do not have faith in the country's progress". Wangchuk, an engineer, a respected educationist and climate activist from the remote Himalayan
region of Ladakh, joined the protest on 29 June and began an indefinite hunger strike. Describing himself as a follower of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, Wangchuk says he believes in his philosophy of non-violent protests and - just like Gandhi - is using hunger strike to awaken the conscience of the government.
The BriefWire