Outlook Explains | A Timeline of Hunger Strikes That Shaped Modern India

As education reform activist Sonam Wangchuk enters the fourth week of his indefinite hunger strike in support of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest over alleged examination irregularities, concerns over his health are mounting. On the 21st day of his fast, Wangchuk was taken to a hospital after doctors warned that he had lost over 9 kg and his condition could worsen if the protest continued.

But Wangchuk's fast is part of a much older tradition in India. For more than a century, hunger strikes have served as one of the country's most powerful forms of non-violent protest, where individuals put their own bodies on the line to force governments and society to pay attention. From the freedom movement to campaigns for social justice, statehood, environmental protection and anti-corruption, several fasts have left a lasting mark on India's political history.

Here's a look at some of the hunger strikes that shaped modern India.

1929: Bhagat Singh's Jail Protest Became A Symbol Of Resistance

One of India's most iconic hunger strikes began inside Lahore Central Jail in June 1929. Bhagat Singh, along with fellow revolutionaries Batukeshwar Dutt and Jatindra Nath Das, launched a hunger strike against the discriminatory treatment of Indian political prisoners by the British.

The prisoners demanded equal food, clothing and living conditions with European inmates, access to books, newspapers and writing material, and exemption from forced labour.

The strike continued for 116 days, becoming one of the longest prison protests of the freedom movement. It drew widespread public support across the country.

The movement took a tragic turn when Jatindra Nath Das died on the 63rd day of his fast on September 13, 1929. His death sparked nationwide outrage and eventually forced the British administration to improve prison conditions and concede to several of the prisoners' demands.

1933: Gandhi Used Fasting As A Tool For Social Reform

Mahatma Gandhi undertook several fasts during his lifetime, blending political protest with spiritual discipline rooted in the principles of non-violence.

One of his most significant came in May 1933, when he observed a 21-day fast for what he described as "self-purification" to promote the upliftment of Dalits, whom he referred to as Harijans.

Rather than framing it as a protest against British rule, Gandhi presented the fast as a moral and spiritual act aimed at ending untouchability and opening public temples, wells and schools to all sections of society. The fast drew nationwide attention to caste discrimination and strengthened the movement for social reform.

Earlier, in 1932, Gandhi had also fasted while imprisoned to oppose the British government's proposal for separate electorates for Dalits, a move he believed would further divide Indian society. The protest eventually resulted in an alternative electoral arrangement.

1952: Potti Sriramulu's Death Led To The Creation Of Andhra State

Freedom fighter and Gandhian Potti Sriramulu began a fast unto death on October 19, 1952, demanding a separate state for Telugu-speaking people.

He continued his fast for 58 days before dying on December 15, 1952.

His death triggered massive protests across the region and placed immense pressure on the government. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru eventually announced the creation of Andhra State, which officially came into existence on October 1, 1953, with Kurnool as its capital.

The movement also laid the foundation for the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, which reorganised Indian states largely on linguistic lines.

2000–2016: Irom Sharmila's 16-Year Protest Against AFSPA

Known as the "Iron Lady of Manipur", Irom Sharmila began her hunger strike on November 5, 2000, after the Malom massacre, in which 10 civilians were allegedly killed by security personnel near Imphal.

She demanded the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), a law that grants sweeping powers to the armed forces in areas declared "disturbed".

Sharmila was repeatedly arrested on charges of attempted suicide and force-fed through a nasal tube while in judicial custody.

Her protest lasted nearly 16 years before she ended it on August 9, 2016, by tasting honey. Widely regarded as the world's longest hunger strike, her campaign brought global attention to AFSPA and human rights concerns in conflict-hit regions.

2006: Medha Patkar Raised Questions Over Development And Displacement

In March 2006, Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar began a hunger strike against the decision to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

She argued that thousands of families displaced by the project had not been properly rehabilitated before construction was allowed to proceed.

The fast lasted 20 days and ended after intervention linked to Supreme Court proceedings and government assurances that rehabilitation issues would be reviewed.

Although the dam project continued, Patkar's protest reignited the national debate over development, displacement and the rights of affected communities.

2006: Mamata Banerjee's Singur Fast Changed West Bengal Politics

Later that year, Mamata Banerjee launched a hunger strike against the acquisition of nearly 1,000 acres of farmland in Singur for the Tata Nano project.

She remained on fast for 26 days, accusing the then Left Front government of forcibly acquiring fertile agricultural land from farmers.

As her health deteriorated, then-President APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intervened. Banerjee called off the protest after receiving a written assurance from the Prime Minister that efforts would be made to resolve the dispute.

The Singur agitation became a turning point in West Bengal politics, helping Banerjee emerge as the face of the anti-Left movement. She became chief minister in 2011.

2011: Anna Hazare's Anti-Corruption Movement Mobilised The Country

Social activist Anna Hazare's indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in April 2011 revived the use of fasting as a mass political movement.

Hazare demanded a stronger anti-corruption watchdog through the Jan Lokpal Bill. His campaign soon evolved into the India Against Corruption movement, drawing students, professionals, civil society groups and thousands of citizens onto the streets.

After disagreements over the proposed legislation, Hazare launched another fast in August 2011. Following his brief arrest, the protest shifted to Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, where massive crowds gathered every day.

Hazare ended his 13-day fast after Parliament agreed in principle to key demands. The movement eventually led to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, and also paved the way for the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party.

2011 & 2018: Environmental Fasts That Ended In Tragedy

Hunger strikes have also been used to highlight environmental concerns.

In 2011, Swami Nigamananda undertook a 115-day fast against illegal sand mining along the Ganga near Haridwar. He died on June 13 after his prolonged protest, bringing national attention to illegal mining in the region.

Seven years later, noted environmentalist G.D. Agarwal, also known as Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand, died after a 111-day hunger strike demanding stronger measures to protect the Ganga and maintain its uninterrupted flow between Gangotri and Uttarkashi.

Both protests underscored the growing use of hunger strikes to draw attention to environmental degradation.

2026: Sonam Wangchuk Continues The Tradition

On June 28, 2026, education reform activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the Cockroach Janta Party's protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar and began an indefinite hunger strike demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities.

By the third week of his fast, doctors said Wangchuk had lost more than 9 kg and warned that his health could deteriorate further. On the 21st day of the strike, he was shifted to a hospital, according to the CJP.

Wangchuk has previously undertaken hunger strikes on issues related to environmental protection and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh. Whether the current protest leads to policy change remains uncertain.

Why Hunger Strikes Continue To Matter

From Bhagat Singh's prison protest and Gandhi's moral campaigns to movements for statehood, environmental protection, anti-corruption and education reform, hunger strikes have remained one of India's most enduring forms of peaceful resistance.

Their outcomes have varied. Some resulted in landmark policy changes, others transformed political careers or sparked national conversations, while a few ended in personal tragedy without achieving their immediate demands.

Yet the underlying idea has remained the same: when institutions fail to respond, some protesters choose to risk their own bodies in the hope that the country will finally listen.