Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Over 160 eminent personalities from Assam are begging environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk to stop his hunger strike. Wangchuk has spent 20 days fasting at Jantar Mantar. His health is failing. The group includes academics, writers, journalists, former bureaucrats, and retired police officers.
Wangchuk started his indefinite fast on June 28. He joined a protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest centers on alleged leaks and irregularities within the NEET-UG examination.
The signatories released a joint statement. They believe the government ignored his peaceful plea for too long. The statement pulls no punches regarding the federal leadership. It claims, "The Government of India should have responded to his peaceful protest much earlier. However, expecting compassion or civility from a dispensation that appears wooden-hearted and power-driven is like crying in the wilderness."
The group argues that Wangchuk has already exposed the heartlessness of those in power. They fear for his life. They noted that if the government ignores someone of his stature, ordinary citizens have little hope for fair treatment. Signatories include Hiren Gohain, Harekrishna Deka, Thomas Menamparampil, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, Apurba Kumar Barua, Jyotirmoy Chakraborty, Paresh Malakar, Prasanta Rajguru, Nitumoni Saikia, Santanu Borthakur, Apurba Sarma, and Arupa Patangia Kalita.
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