Several Indian celebrities have come out in support of climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, who is currently on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Wangchuk joined the ongoing protest led by the newly formed Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), urging the Central government to initiate a dialogue with the protesters and demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the alleged NEET paper leak and examination irregularities. On Tuesday, his hunger strike entered its 17th day amid growing concerns over his deteriorating health.
Veteran actress Zeenat Aman was among the first celebrities to publicly extend her support. She shared a heartfelt note on social media, reflecting on Wangchuk's contributions and urging the authorities to engage with him and the protesters through peaceful dialogue.
Sharing a photo of Wangchuk, she wrote, "My thoughts today are in the country’s capital city where @wangchuksworld world is entering the 17th day of his indefinite hunger strike. I read in a news article that Mr. Wangchuk “…has started losing muscle mass and is in immense pain.” And that, when asked to end his fast, he replied “Don’t ask me to end my fast. Ask the government why they won’t even have a dialogue.” Mr. Wangchuk is the founder of SECMOL, the inventor of the ice stupa, a harbinger of educational reform in Ladakh, a dedicated environmental and community activist, and the inspiration of that much loved Bollywood character “Phunsuk Wangdu” played so compellingly by Aamir Khan in 3 Idiots. By all accounts Mr. Wangdu is a brilliant and conscientious man, one that has been recognised globally for his social impact with umpteen prestigious awards. With respect to Mr. Wangchuk’s wishes, I implore the Indian government to open dialogue on this matter that concerns the future of all India."
Read her full note here:
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Wangchuk famously inspired Aamir Khan's character Phunsukh Wangdu in 3 Idiots. Actor Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur Ramalingam in the film, also voiced his support and urged people not to let the "real-life Phunsuk Wangdu" die.
In a video shared on Instagram, Omi said, "Hello, idiots. Recognise me? This is Omi Vaidya, Chatur from 3 Idiots, and I have an important message for you. Did you know that Phunsukh Wangdu from 3 Idiots, the character that Aamir Khan plays, is actually based on the real-life Ladakhi engineer, educator and reformer named Sonam Wangchuk? I have met this guy. He is a pretty interesting character. He has done some incredible stuff, and he seems pretty humble. I suggest you look him up and see what he is up to. Right now, he is on a very long hunger strike. It is over many, many weeks, and his blood sugar has gone down very much. I don't know if you have heard about this; I don't know if the media is reporting this, but this is a pretty important thing."
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Omi went on to explain the reasons behind Wangchuk's hunger strike. Concluding the video, he said that while people may or may not agree with Wangchuk's views, he did not want to see him lose his life. "I don't want Phunsukh Wangdu to die," he said, urging people to understand and support his cause.
He captioned the post as, "Did you know the real-life Phunsukh Wangdu may die?@wangchuksworld #3idiots #sonamwangchuk #paperleak #phunsukhwangdu #standwithsonamwangchuk"
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Actors Abhay Deol and Naseeruddin Shah have also extended their support to Wangchuk, while several politicians, writers, activists and public figures have appealed to him to end his fast even as they continue backing his demands.
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