Irom Sharmila criticised the government’s response to Wangchuk’s indefinite fast.
She demanded open, transparent action from police and government authorities.
Sharmila urged students to support Wangchuk and defend democratic dissent.
For 16 years, Irom Sharmila refused food and water in one of the world's longest hunger strikes, demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). Arrested repeatedly, force-fed through a nasal tube, and kept in judicial custody for years, the "Iron Lady of Manipur" became a global symbol of peaceful resistance and the personal cost of dissent.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's ongoing hunger strike has revived memories of Sharmila's own ordeal. Speaking exclusively to Mrinalini Dhyani, Sharmila reflected on the government's response to peaceful protests, the changing nature of democratic dissent.
Wangchuk is continuing his indefinite hunger strike after being forcibly removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site by the Delhi Police and admitted to Safdarjung Hospital. Despite being hospitalised and repeated requests from doctors to end his fast, he has refused to voluntarily consume any food or water and has maintained that his protest will continue. He had been protesting over the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and demanding accountability from the Centre.
Sonam Wangchuk was picked up by the Delhi Police today and is being asked to end his fast. What is your view on this ?
Yes. The Indian administrative system needs to respect real democracy. This is the voice of a person using his own body. It is a rightful demand for future generations, mainly for students. They are the pillars of democracy.
When someone individually fights against a wrong system using his own body, the democratic government needs to respect it. Otherwise, India's democracy will be seen poorly by the outside world. Before the situation becomes worse, the government should solve the problem and have a dialogue. How hard can it be to address the demand?
I just feel sorry for him. Delhi is the capital city of India. Millions of students are studying there. It is the right opportunity for young people to contribute, to show civic sense, and to stand by him physically.
You yourself undertook a very long hunger strike and were force-fed. How do you feel when the government attempts to force-feeds someone who is protesting in this way?
I just feel sorry. When Anna Hazare used the same tactic, the government respected him. I feel there is some discrimination. I just feel a little displeased. Sonam Wangchuk is not asking for something for his personal gain. For so long, and not just in this case, he has repeatedly put himself in such conditions. We are all responsible for this because we cannot do this alone. I just feel sorry, that's all.
Do you think such protests can still influence the government? Do they still have relevance today?
They removed the provision that treated an attempt to commit suicide as an offence under the Indian Penal Code. Then why are the security forces acting in such a harsh way? They are doing it in a dirty way, wearing civil dress and carrying out such actions without transparency. Demonstrations need to respect people's rights. The right to express one's voice and the right to dissent must be respected.
In Sonam Wangchuk's case, the Delhi Police said they acted based on a Delhi High Court order. The order, however, only said that intervention was required if his condition became very serious. Do you think the courts should intervene in such situations?
I think the High Court is concerned about his health. But the police, if they have a duty to perform, need to do it openly and transparently. That is what I am saying.
Does this remind you of your own struggle? Do you think anything has changed since your hunger strike, or has the system remained the same?
Yes, it does. The system and the way of dealing with protests are still the same. The difference in my case was that people lacked civic sense. They wanted to put the responsibility and burden only on me. They wanted me to handle everything individually. From time to time, they supported me, but at the right moment, when I was released without the nasal tube feeding and my body had deteriorated, no one wanted to help seriously.
That right approach at the right moment was missing. If it had happened in Delhi, at a place like Jantar Mantar, it would not have been just about keeping someone alive in a hospital like it happened with me. There would have been real public support, like the support Mahatma Gandhi received.
With Sonam Wangchuk now being taken away from the protest site, what do you think is the future of this movement? Many people had begun speaking up because of his presence. How do you see the protest going forward?
Somehow, the central government sees him differently. They are not giving him the kind of respect that Anna Hazare received. With this kind of treatment, I do not know what will happen but I want to know what the youth think. As students and as a young generation, this concerns their future. What Sonam Wangchuk is doing is not only about Ladakh. It is about the future of the whole country and its youth.
What are the young people doing? I know they do not want to miss their classes or lose their precious time. But this is the right moment and the right opportunity for them to come forward and show what they are learning. Let them do something. Stand by him. Don't leave him alone. Take the movement forward. Youth is very important. Just keep the democracy alive.
