PIL in Delhi HC Seeks Medical Aid for Sonam Wangchuk, Urges End to Hunger Strike

It is an extremely tense and emotionally charged situation at Jantar Mantar. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike for 18 days now, and observers are getting worried that he is nearing a point of physical breaking.

The Call to Intervention

A lawyer, Rakesh Kumar Saini, has approached the Delhi High Court seeking court intervention on the ground that the government’s present approach is indifferent or even apathetic.

His basic argument is human, that while protest is a democratic right, the state has a fundamental obligation to prevent the death of any citizen at its hands. The petition is blunt, asking the court to order authorities to take Mr Wangchuk to a government hospital and, if his health deteriorates to a critical point, to keep him alive with medical measures such as a liquid diet or even force-feeding. The petitioner has expressed deep concern that “it would be a great shame for the country and the world if the activist passes away”.

The Human Side of the Protest

The stories behind the headlines are harrowing:

• Physical Toll: Mr Wangchuk has reportedly lost more than 8 kilogrammes, has lost muscle mass and is in great pain.

• The Standoff: Even as prominent political figures – including Arvind Kejriwal, Akhilesh Thackeray and others – appeal to him to end his fast, he remains firm. When people ask him to stop, he is said to have told them they should be asking the government why it refuses to start a dialogue on the root causes, such as the NEET examination irregularities.

• Legal Delays This urgent matter was due to be heard by the court today, but a lawyers’ strike has postponed the hearing until tomorrow, July 16.

What’s next?

Those backing the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement are concentrating on the upcoming ‘Chalo Sansad’ march scheduled for July 20, the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. In the meantime, the court is expected to mull over the government’s responsibility for an activist who has risked it all to be heard.

"It is a tragedy of the highest order. The thin line between a citizen’s right to dissent and the state’s duty to protect life is being pushed to the limit in the most public way possible.

Is your main interest in the legal side of his health issues, or do you want more of the updates on the upcoming march?