Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Wednesday claimed that the government broke a promise by releasing photographs of him ending his 26-day hunger strike, saying the episode left him disillusioned with political leaders across party lines.
In an exclusive interview with India Today’s Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai, Wangchuk claimed there was a clear understanding that no photographs of his midnight meeting with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh would be released until leaders from the Opposition and student representatives were also associated with the announcement.
“The ministers had got their own photographers. They pledged to me, they wouldn’t release it. They broke the promise,” the 59-year-old said.
The activist said that in Ladakh, it was customary for government representatives to offer juice or soup to end a protest fast after accepting the protesters’ demands. However, he insisted that the moment should not be projected as an event involving only the ruling party.
“I told them I would like members of other political parties, their leadership and student leaders to be part of it. I wanted it to be a joint gathering,” he said.
Since the ministers arrived after midnight, Wangchuk said he suggested an alternative arrangement. “I said I would break the fast, but the news would be released on my terms, with photographs of Opposition leaders and, if possible, student leaders put together so it appeared to be a joint effort,” he said.
According to Wangchuk, the ministers agreed to the proposal and senior Intelligence Bureau officials present during the meeting were made witnesses to the understanding.
“I told the IB officers, ‘You are witnesses to this agreement. Nobody will release any images to the media until I break the news with all parties represented.’ They agreed and made that promise,” he said.
Wangchuk, however, claimed the understanding was breached within minutes.
“I was waiting to collect photographs of leaders from other parties. Within five minutes, a senior IB officer came huffing and puffing and said, ‘Sir, I don’t know how, but these images are already running on television channels,'” he recalled.
The activist rejected allegations that he had struck a “midnight deal” with the government to end his fast.
“I could have done that deal much earlier. I need not have sat on a 26-day hunger strike. I could have made much bigger deals. I could have even said, ‘Make me the education minister.’ If I wanted to make deals, I had many opportunities,” he said.
Wangchuk said the incident had shaken his faith in political leaders. “They broke the promise. So I’ve lost trust in all these leaders,” he said.
Wangchuk joined the Abhijeet Dipke-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest on the NEET issue and began his hunger strike on June 28 at Delhi‘s Jantar Mantar. After his health deteriorated, police forcibly shifted him to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on July 18, triggering protests from students who alleged he had been shifted against his wishes.
After his wife Gitanjali J Angmo filed a court petition demanding her husband be shifted to a private hospital, Wangchuk was later transferred to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on July 21, where JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met him three days later.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a late-night video message regarding strict anti-paper leak laws and fast-track, Wangchuk ended his 26-day fast in the late night of July 24. Photographs of the ministers offering him a cup of soup to break the fast later surfaced.
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