New Delhi: Actor Omi Vaidya on Tuesday appealed for public concern over the worsening health of Sonam Wangchuk, who has been fasting since June 28 and is on an indefinite hunger strike. “I don’t want him to die,” Vaidya said, urging people to take notice, PTI reported.
Wangchuk — the engineer-activist who inspired Aamir Khan’s Phunsukh Wangdu in the film 3 Idiots — began his fast at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar after joining the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. The protest started on June 20, and Wangchuk joined on June 28.
Posting a video on his X account, Vaidya reminded viewers of the connection between Wangchuk and the film character and described the activist as “humble” and “pretty impressive.” He said the strike has lasted several weeks and warned that Wangchuk’s blood sugar has fallen significantly.
“I don’t want him to die. Hello idiots, pehchana? This is Omi Vaidya, Chatur from ‘3 Idiots’. I have an important message for you. I don’t really do this very often, so please listen up,” he said in the video.
Vaidya asked people to look up Wangchuk’s work and the reasons for his fast, noting that whether or not one agrees with him, the health risk is serious. “Why he is on the hunger strike ? He has some issues with the education system in India…and whether you agree with him or not, I don’t want him to die,” he said.
Organisers say Wangchuk has lost 8.2 kilograms since beginning the fast. His latest recorded medical readings were a blood pressure of 107/70 mmHg and a blood glucose level of 67 mg/dL.
Vaidya urged the public to pause their busy routines and examine the concerns Wangchuk is raising through his protest, suggesting many may find the issues relevant to their own lives.
“I would like him to live. We are just regular people, and we have regular lives, and we are just so busy to deal with this stuff, but if you look into these issues, you may agree with him, and you may see you having the same issues,” he said.
“So if you have a second to just stop, put down your work from the project that needs to be completed or the household duties, or whatever, and just take a look at what is going on… I don’t want Phunsukh Wangdu to die.”
Support Continues To Grow
Support for Wangchuk’s fast has continued to expand. Actors Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah and Abhay Deol, along with writer Arundhati Roy and filmmaker Sanjay Kak, have expressed solidarity and called for officials to open a dialogue, citing concerns over the activist’s health, as reported by Outlook.
Several signatories previously urged the Cockroach Janata Party to consider ending the indefinite fast in the interest of sustaining a longer campaign, describing the movement as a marathon rather than a sprint.
The CJP has announced a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, coinciding with the opening of the Monsoon Session.
