SHIMLA: Political and civil society leaders in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday condemned the government's interruption of climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike by shifting him to a hospital, terming the move "insensitive".
They said the activist's fast should have ended with a dialogue with the government but instead, he was shifted to a hospital without a solution being offered.
Wangchuk's supporters, consisting of hundreds of youths, women, retired government officials and civil society members, had observed a one-day symbolic fast in Himachal Pradesh's Solan on Friday following a call given by city-based organisation Jagruk Yuva Sangathan.
The protesters, who had earlier decided to hold a massive demonstration in Solan on July 20, the day of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) scheduled march to Parliament, said they would meet to decide their future course of action on Monday.
State Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi on Saturday accused the Union government of being "insensitive" and imposing an "unannounced emergency" in the country.
Wangchuk was on a hunger strike seeking accountability from the Union education minister, but anyone who raises a voice against issues is in danger and could be put behind bars unconstitutionally, Negi said.
Earlier too, the activist was put in jail for months when he demanded that Ladakh be included in the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and granted statehood, the minister added.
Advocate Manoj Verma, who led Friday's protest in Solan, alleged that the government interrupted Wangchuk's fast as pressure mounted on it due to the enormous support being received by the youth-led movement for its Parliament march scheduled on July 20.
"We wanted Wangchuk to end his fast as his life was precious and we didn't want to lose him. But we wanted to end it with a dialogue with the government. Instead, he was removed from Jantar Mantar," Verma, a former Zila Parishad member from Solan, told PTI.
"Shifting him without giving any solution to the cause he was fighting for shows the government's high-handedness and scant regard for his health," he added.
Alleging that the country's education system has been turned into a commercial racket, with "education mafia" remaining constantly active and paper leaks breaking the spirit of students, he demanded reforms in the education sector and a foolproof examination system.
"Lakhs of students spend years preparing for exams and incur huge expenses only to see the question papers getting leaked at the time of the test," he said, adding that the protesters were supporting Wangchuk because he was articulating the pain and grievances that others are unable to bring to the public eye.
A Solan resident, Bhavita, said paper leaks have become the new normal, and students and parents are suffering.
"Students work hard all year, attend coaching classes and spend lakhs of rupees to prepare for competitive exams. Such illegal practices should be curbed at once," she said.
Another resident, Kanak, said selection on merit is a basic right of every citizen and paper leaks year after year have put the government in the dock for failing to put a strong examination system in place.
Wangchuk, who had been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of the CJP's protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, was shifted to a hospital by Delhi Police on Saturday.
The CJP had been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including NEET.
Police said Wangchuk was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital on the directions of the Delhi High Court and medical advice, in view of his deteriorating health.
