Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Saturday called the situation spiralling out of control in India an ‘undeclared emergency’ following a sweeping crackdown by police in Delhi amid protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the electoral process. He warned that he might mull an indefinite hunger strike or a march if the demonstrators detained by police were not released by Sunday.
Security arrangements had been ramped up across Delhi as police detained several political leaders and activists linked to the stir. Among the ones who were detained were Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashustosh Ranka, CPI(M) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora, activists Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk
Wangchuk issues warning of hunger strike
Wangchuk, who had raised calls for unity and peace ahead of the protest, expressed concern over the detentions in a post on his official ‘X’ handle. A video statement was attached with the post, in which he was heard saying that he had not anticipated that the world’s largest democracy would see what he termed an ‘undeclared emergency.’
His post read, “INDIA IN A STATE OF UNDECLARED EMERGENCY,” while he expressed hope that the ones in police custody at present would be released soon. He went on to say that he had been encouraged by the huge turnout of the protestors, who had stepped forward to helm the movement. Furthermore, he warned that he would be compelled to consider an ‘Anshan Fast’ (hunger strike) or a Padyatra (foot march) if the detainees were not set free by the following day.
Why Wangchuk skipped the Oct 10 protest?
Earlier on Friday, a day before the protest, Wangchuk clarified why he would not join the CJP-led demonstrations scheduled for Saturday against CEC Kumar. He added that he was occupied with preparations for the approaching winter, particularly work concerning water security and the assessment of glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) risks in the high Himalayas.
Emphasising that several pressing issues demanded attention beyond the political lens, he invoked the words of Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, which go as: “Aur Bhi Gham Hain Zamaane Main Siyaast Ke Siva... Rahaten aur bhi hain wasl ki raahat ke siva.” He underlined his stated priorities by means of the poem, including preparations for winter and efforts to address environmental challenges in the Himalayan region.
Details of Wangchuk’s earlier hunger strike
A still from Wangchuk's hunger strike in July this year
Notably, Wangchuk had earlier undertaken a 26-day-long hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, extending support to CJP’s July protest over alleged irregularities in pan-India examinations. He ended his fast on July 23 in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.