Zeenat Aman urges govt to deal with Sonam Wangchuk as his health deteriorates: ‘I mustn’t watch them sacrifice the greatest minds’ | Today’s news

‘We must not sit back and watch great minds being sacrificed…’: Veteran actress Zeenat Aman on Tuesday urged the government to open a dialogue with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) as activist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike entered its 17th day.

Wangchuk has lost 8.5 kg since starting the fast and his blood pressure was recorded at 109/70 mm Hg, according to a health bulletin issued by the CJP.

Zeenat Aman said on Instagram: “My thoughts are in the nation’s capital today as Sonam Wangchuk’s world enters day 17 of his indefinite hunger strike.”

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Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike is aimed at protesting alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Zeenat Aman urges the government to deal with Wangchuk as his health is rapidly deteriorating during his indefinite hunger strike, stressing that dialogue is more important than silence during such protests.

Sonam Wangchuk is on an indefinite hunger strike for 17 days, according to recent reports.

Wangchuk has lost a significant amount of weight, approximately 8.5 kg, and is experiencing excruciating pain, muscle wasting and other serious health problems as a result of the hunger strike.

Supporters, including public figures such as Omi Vaidya and influential activists, believe that support for Wangchuk’s protest is necessary to raise awareness of the issues he highlights, including education reform and government accountability.

She quoted a newspaper article about Wangchuk saying “he has started to lose muscle mass and is in excruciating pain”. When asked to end the fast, the activist replied, “Don’t ask me to end the fast. Ask the government why they are not even having a dialogue.”

The veteran actress noted that Wangchuk is the founder of SECMOL, the inventor of the ice stupa, the harbinger of education reform in Ladakh, a dedicated environmental and community activist and the inspiration for the much-loved Bollywood character ‘Phunsuk Wangdu’, played so convincingly by Aamir Khan in 3 Idiots.

“By all accounts, Mr. Wangdu is a brilliant and conscientious man who has been recognized globally for his social impact with many prestigious awards,” she said.

Read also | Omi Vaidya’s call to Sonam Wangchuk wins the internet: “Why is Aamir silent?”

‘Open dialogue’

Zeenat Aman said she respected Wangchuk’s wishes and urged the Indian government to open a dialogue.

“I urge the Government of India to open a dialogue on this matter, which concerns the future of all India,” she said.

“We must not become a society that sits by and watches as one of its greatest minds is sacrificed. India has a long history of peaceful protest; those in power have an obligation to counter such protest with peaceful dialogue,” she said.

Read also | Sonam Wangchuk Loses Muscle As The Pressure Builds And Ends Quickly

Wangchuk is in ‘extreme pain’

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said Wangchuk was losing muscle mass and was in “tremendous pain”.

“He started losing muscle mass and is in excruciating pain. Like everyone else, I begged him to end the fast. He calmly replied, ‘Don’t ask me to end the fast. Ask the government why they aren’t even having a dialogue,'” Dipke said in a post on X.

Dipke further said that Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal phoned him to inquire about Wangchuk’s health and expressed deep concern over his condition.

“At a time like this, every voice that stands for dialogue and democracy matters. I sincerely thank Mr. Arvind for supporting the CJP protest and our march to Parliament on July 20,” he said.

Read also | Sonam Wangchuk will lead CJP’s march to Parliament on July 20

CJP demands resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan ₹1 million in compensation to the families of students who died by suicide due to alleged examination irregularities.

The outfit also stepped up preparations for its proposed ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on July 20, the opening day of the monsoon session, and urged supporters to register their participation through a missed call campaign.

The CJP protest started on June 20, Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on an indefinite hunger strike since then.