Don't ask me to end fast, join July 20 march to Parliament instead: Sonam Wangchuk
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, in a late-night video message on Wednesday, refused to end his indefinite hunger strike despite appeals from supporters and political leaders, saying
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, in a late-night video message on Wednesday, refused to end his indefinite hunger strike despite appeals from supporters and political leaders, saying calling it off without any assurance from the government would send the wrong message and urged people to join the July 20 march to Parliament instead of asking him to break his fast. "If I eat, what message will go? The message to the government will be that there is no need for accountability. Protesters sit and leave..." Wangchuk said in the video, questioning what would change if he broke his fast. Read Full Story Instead, the 59-year-old activist urged citizens to participate in the Cockroach Janta Party's proposed "Chalo Sansad" march on July 20, saying the demonstration would serve as a "real lesson in political science and democracy" for students.
I’m Not in good shape but not so bad either... Rather than asking me to break my fast please join me on 20th July... Peaceful March to the Parliament.#cockroachjanataparty In the video, shared on the 18th day of his hunger strike, Wangchuk said he had received thousands of requests from supporters to end his fast, while several senior political leaders had also reached out to him with concern. "Many senior politicians have come to me and spoken to me with love and concern. Some have even approached the court seeking directions to make me eat," he said. Meanwhile, our reporter spent a night at the CJP protest site at Jantar Mantar, closely observing Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike and the protest from the ground.
Addressing concerns over his health, Wangchuk said medical tests had not shown any immediate danger and that he was fit to continue the fast. "My condition is not such that I will die in two-four days. Many medical tests have been conducted and the results are quite normal for an 18-day fast. An ECG was also done and it is not bad. I can continue for many more days," he said while acknowledging weakness and muscle loss. "There is weakness and my muscles are getting weak, but my heart and core are still fine," Wangchuk added. Furthermore, Wangchuk also appealed to schools, colleges and universities to mark July 20 as a day of "experiential education" under the Education Policy by joining the march, saying students would witness a "real lesson in political science and democracy".
"Come in thousands on July 20. Together, we will hand over this issue to Parliament. Then I will believe that it has gone into the right hands," Wangchuk said. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been protesting at Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over irregularities in the NEET examination. The group has announced the "Chalo Sansad" march on July 20, coinciding with the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Ends
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