The central government would be responsible “if anything happens” to Sonam Wangchuk, Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale said on Wednesday in a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, as the activist completed 18 days on hunger strike. Gokhale urged Pradhan to open a dialogue with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters and said Wangchuk was in an “extremely critical” condition.
Wangchuk has been on a fast since June 28 as part of a CJP-led protest seeking Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET and CBSE examinations. According to Gokhale, Wangchuk has lost more than eight kilograms since beginning the strike, and is now under round-the-clock medical supervision.
In the letter, which Gokhale shared on X, he said, “It is reported that the stress caused due to the NEET exam irregularities and paper leaks has led to 12 young students dying by suicide.
We are talking here about innocent lives that have been lost because the system has let them down.” Addressing Pradhan, he said the primary demand of Wangchuk and the protesters was “your resignation over the repeated irregularities in NEET and CBSE exams”.
Gokhale told the minister, “In a TV interview, you have also admitted and accepted your responsibility in this matter. In a democracy, the correct and moral course of action is for the responsible minister to tender a resignation after such failures. The fact that you have not even offered to resign has been the biggest grouse of lakhs of students and youth.”
He added, “Whether you resign or not is a decision that’s best left for your own moral compass. However, it is a matter of immense shame that you have not even opened a line of communication with Sh Wangchuk to understand the concerns he is expressing on behalf of lakhs of students.”
Appealing to Pradhan to speak to Wangchuk, Gokhale described him as a “true Gandhian” who has been agitating for lakhs of students, and said, “That is the absolute least that you and the government can and must do.” He also said that while several opposition leaders had expressed solidarity with Wangchuk and fellow protesters, there had been a “shameful and pathetic silence from the Modi government”.
In another statement, he said, “What would the government lose by at least talking to him? It is wishful thinking to expect a resignation from a shameless government. But the fact that they’re ok even if Mr Wangchuk dies is a new low. He has lost over 8 kgs of weight in two weeks. His condition is extremely critical. If anything happens to Mr Sonam Wangchuk, the Modi Govt & Dharmendra Pradhan must be held responsible for not even reaching out to him.”
The appeal came a day after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee spoke to Wangchuk over the phone to ask about his health. According to CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, Banerjee asked Wangchuk to stay strong and extended her solidarity to the movement seeking justice for students.
TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra also called Wangchuk on Tuesday to ask about his health, while Moitra and TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose had earlier visited Jantar Mantar to express solidarity. Wangchuk, who completed 18 days of fasting on Tuesday, remains under constant medical supervision as the protest continues.( _IT_ )
