Delhi Police on Monday morning forcibly took protester Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital on health grounds after he launched a 20-day hunger strike to protest against India’s examination system.
AFP says that Wangchuk, 59, began a hunger strike on June 28 calling for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the tests to study medicine.
Other rallies have been arranged by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party online movement, and in recent weeks a few hundred students have also rallied around Wangchuk near his platform at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
On the directions of the high court and expert medical advise due to the deteriorating health condition of Sonam Wangchuk, he has been taken to the hospital for urgent medical care, a deputy commissioner of Delhi police said in a statement.
While following the orders… the protestors tried to cause obstacle, in which little commotion took place,” the statement added.
“We appeal to the protestors at Jantar Mantar to vacate the place at the earliest peacefully.
A video from Jantar Mantar shows a few Wangchuk fans confused in the morning at the location as police rushed him from the stage holding white sheets.
A court in New Delhi ordered Thursday to monitor the health of the activist daily by government physicians.
After activist lawyer Rakesh Kumar Saini filed a petition warning that Wangchuk may not survive for long if he did not break his fast, the court declared, “the life of any citizen is precious.”
The Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered “any medical intervention necessary to save the life of Sonam Wangchuk” to be undertaken.
Wangchuk, who trained as an engineer, is most famous for his groundbreaking work on water conservation initiatives in the Himalayas.
“Smaller movements have brought down many governments in India… and here it is about education,” Wangchuk declared hours before he was hauled up by the authorities.
Last month, approximately 2.2 million prospective med students underwent a re-test under strict security after the previous exam was withdrawn following a paper leak that sparked widespread indignation.
The failure of the very competitive exam, and a related marking catastrophe in high school assessments, provoked an outrage and encouraged student protests.
Several members of the opposition parties have supported Wangchuk and the student activists.
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