Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike: The man who inspired 3 Idiots’ Aamir Khan's Phunsukh Wangdu gets celebrity support

Actor Omi Vaidya has extended his support to educationist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk as his indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar entered its 17th day. Referring to the real-life inspiration behind his 3 Idiots character Chatur Ramalingam’s friend Phunsukh Wangdu, Vaidya urged people to understand the issues behind Wangchuk’s protest.

In an emotional Instagram video titled “I don’t want Phunsukh Wangdu to die,” Vaidya spoke about meeting Wangchuk and highlighted his contributions, while appealing for people to look beyond political or ideological differences.

“I’ve met this guy. He’s a pretty interesting character. He has done some incredible stuff in his life and he seems pretty humble, which is kind of fantastic. I suggest you look him up and see what he’s up to because right now he is on a very long hunger strike. It’s over many, many weeks and his blood sugar has gone down very much,” he said.

The actor also stressed that support for Wangchuk should not depend on whether people agree with his views.

“Whether you agree with him or not, I don’t really want this guy to die. I think he’s a pretty impressive person and I would like for him to live.”

Vaidya ended his appeal by encouraging people to understand the larger issues behind the protest.

“We’re just regular people and we have regular lives and sometimes we’re too busy to deal with this stuff. But if you look into these issues, I think that you may agree with him and you may see yourself having the same issues, or your family members or your friends, or maybe you’ve had these issues in the past,” he concluded.

Vaidya’s message comes as support for Wangchuk’s movement continues to grow, with several prominent personalities also backing the cause while expressing concern over the protesters’ health.

Writer Arundhati Roy, actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, and economist Jayati Ghosh issued a joint statement on Monday, saying they were “immensely grateful” to the protesters for continuing their fight despite the health risks.

The group, however, appealed to Wangchuk and other protesters to consider ending the hunger strike.

“We salute your sense of purpose, the determination and courage with which you are spearheading this movement for students and youth across the country,” the statement read, according to PTI.

They added, “We request you to please consider ending this hunger strike immediately in the interests of the longer and more difficult struggle ahead. This battle is a marathon, not a sprint, and we need you, your strength and leadership in the days to come.”

The signatories also raised concerns over the government’s response to the protesters’ demands, warning that continued silence could worsen their health condition.

“We worry that their negligence in responding to your demands will only worsen the already fragile state of health that many of you are in,” the statement concluded.

Zeenat Aman had also expressed an appeal for Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike: ‘Don’t let one of India’s greatest minds be sacrificed’

The protest, organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), entered its 24th day on Tuesday, while Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike reached Day 17.

The agitation began on June 20, with Wangchuk joining the movement on June 28. The protesters are demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, along with Rs 1 crore compensation for families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the leak.

AISA activist Deepak, who had also been on hunger strike since June 28, was admitted to Delhi’s RML Hospital on Monday after his health deteriorated.

The CJP has also announced a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, coinciding with the first day of the Monsoon Session, and the statement urged Delhi residents to participate in the march.