Indian police hospitalise activist on hunger strike
Police forcibly transported a prominent activist to a hospital in New Delhi after his health deteriorated during a 20-day hunger strike affiliated with India’s viral Cockroach Janta Party’s education reform movement.
Authorities have tightened security around New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, a public protest site surrounded by police barricades, where activist Sonam Wangchuk was camped out with students and Cockroach Party activists demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following allegations of previous leaks of exam papers.
The movement also calls for comprehensive reforms in the examination system and compensation for the families of students who died by suicide due to leaked examination results.
The 59-year-old engineer and education reformer’s strike has become a rallying point for the party, which began in May after Supreme Court Chief Justice Surya Kant compared some unemployed youth to “cockroaches” during a hearing on another matter.
Supporters embraced the insult as a symbol of resilience and turned it into a satirical political campaign that garnered more than 21 million Instagram followers in a matter of days.
Delhi Police said Wangchuk was hospitalized on Saturday after his health deteriorated during his hunger strike, and a brief commotion occurred when some protesters tried to block the movement.
Deputy commissioner of police Sachin Sharma said Wangchuk’s hospitalization was carried out following medical advice and court directive.
“Mr Sonam Wangchuk was taken from here to a suitable government hospital; the much-needed medical attention was given under medical supervision,” said Sharma.
The Cockroach Party said in a social media post that the government “forcibly abducted” Wangchuk “without his or his family’s consent.”
Shortly after the incident, Boston University student and Cockroach Party founder Abhijeet Dipke announced that he would go on a hunger strike.
Dipke told The Associated Press that police at the protest site used force when removing Wangchuk, claiming that he was “covered with sheets and then kidnapped by the police like criminals and vagrants.”
The party founder reiterated the movement’s plan to march on the Indian parliament, where the session begins on Monday.
“Determination and movement will only get stronger from here,” Dipke said.
Authorities deployed additional police and paramilitary soldiers and set up barricades around Jantar Mantar.
Police said the increased security measures were precautionary and urged protesters to cooperate with authorities.
