As criticism mounted over climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's decision to end his 26-day hunger strike in support of students protesting the alleged NEET
paper leak, his wife Gitanjali Angmo came out strongly in his defence, urging people to show compassion instead of judgment. In an emotional post on X, Angmo revealed that Wangchuk is currently in the ICU after losing 11 kg, including significant muscle mass, during the fast. "Before you rush to criticise @Wangchuk66, first pause to earn the ethos of fasting for 26 days for a cause larger than yourself. He lies in the ICU today, having lost 11 kg, including muscle mass, because he chose sacrifice over comfort," she wrote. Appealing for empathy, Angmo added, "The least we can offer him is a day of compassion before burdening him with our own expectations and political calculations. Not everyone is qualified to judge a life of selfless service. One must first earn the moral stature to do so. Please... have a heart." Her statement came shortly after Wangchuk himself addressed the backlash in a video message shared on social media on Friday.
Sonam Wangchuk's Video Message
In a video message shared on social media, Wangchuk questioned why his commitment to the cause needed a character certificate.
"After 26 days of fasting for the sake of students, losing 11 kilograms of body weight in which I have also lost muscle mass and my organs and brain reached the verge of irreversible damage, and doing all this in the scorching heat of Delhi after coming from the bitter cold of Ladakh, do I have to seek a character certificate from anyone about how sacred my fast was, about whose hands I broke it at, or whether I made a deal or not?... Shame on a country that produces such minds, from which such vile thoughts spring. I don't blame anyone because most of you lack knowledge of what circumstances I have been through, what my family has been through in the past week or two... So before listening to anyone, be sure to look at their background. Do they hold any grudges? Are they from a political party that has grudges against another political party, or are they a neutral person? If they are neutral, then definitely listen to them...," he said in a video.
Wangchuk ended his 26-day-long hunger strike on Friday after receiving a written assurance from the Union Government regarding the NEET examination issue and systemic reforms in the country's competitive testing framework.
He ended his hunger strike in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh at Medanta Hospital.
