As educator and innovator Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike continues to draw national attention, actor Swara Bhasker has weighed in on the noticeable silence from Bollywood. Speaking to The Lallantop at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, she said many people in the film industry are afraid to speak up, adding that a movement’s importance should never depend on whether celebrities choose to support it publicly.
Swara Bhasker explains Bollywood’s silence
During the conversation, Swara Bhasker was asked why Bollywood has largely stayed away from Sonam Wangchuk’s protest, especially when many celebrities had openly supported Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement back in 2011.
Replying to the question, she said, “Meri haalat dekh ke nahi aa rahe hain. Unko pata hai ki zyada bolne se Swara Bhasker ke saath joh hua tha, woh hum sab ke saath bhi hoga. Isliye woh nahi aa rahe hain (They aren’t coming because they see the state I’m in. They know that if they speak up too much, the same thing that happened to Swara Bhasker will happen to all of us. That is why they aren’t coming.)”
Swara went on to say that the current political climate is very different from what it was over a decade ago. Drawing a comparison with 2011, she said, “2011-10 ki baat alag thi. Sarkar alag thi. Haan, unhone bhi bhrashtachar kiya hoga, galat cheezein kari hongi, lekin jis had tak yeh sarkar chali jaati hai… activists aur students ko bina bail ke, bina kisi wajah ke jail mein nahi sadaya gaya tha (The situation in 2011–10 was different. The government was different. Yes, they too might have engaged in corruption or committed wrongdoings, but the extent to which this government goes… activists and students were not left to rot in jail without bail and without any valid reason.)”
‘The cause is bigger than celebrities’
Criticising the government’s response to the ongoing protest, Swara Bhasker accused it of being consumed by arrogance and shamelessness. She said that this government stands exposed in its arrogance and shamelessness.
Despite her criticism, she made it clear that she does not blame individual actors for choosing not to speak publicly. Instead, she appealed to people not to depend on celebrities to validate important issues. “Celebrities pe itna bharosa mat karo. Celebrity ki wajah se koi cause zaroori nahi ho jaata. Cause apne aap mein hi zaroori hai (Don’t place so much trust in celebrities. A cause doesn’t become important just because of a celebrity; the cause is important in its own right),” she added.
Explaining why she personally decided to support Sonam Wangchuk’s protest, she added that the movement was also about her daughter’s future. She emphasized that she did not want to be forced to leave the country and relocate on a Dubai Golden Visa. Instead, she wanted her daughter to be raised and educated in India, and to receive the same opportunities that she had been given.
Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike continues
Sonam Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since June 28, seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and wider concerns surrounding the country’s examination system. The protest has also brought renewed focus to student suicides and the growing demand for accountability. You can follow all the latest developments through HT’s Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike live coverage.
Despite increasing concern over his health, Wangchuk has urged supporters not to ask him to end his fast. Instead, he has called on people to join his peaceful march to Parliament on July 20. In a video message, he said, “I’m not in good shape but not so bad either…Rather than asking me to break my fast please join me on 20th July… Peaceful March to the Parliament.”
His health, however, continues to remain a concern. According to his doctor, Dr Satish Lamba, Wangchuk has lost around 9 kg since beginning the hunger strike and now weighs approximately 56 kg. The doctor also said he has lost muscle mass and has elevated uric acid levels, cautioning that the coming days could be critical if the fast continues.
His protest has found support across the film industry, with actors and filmmakers including Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Zeenat Aman, Shabana Azmi, Abhay Deol, Anurag Kashyap, Omi Vaidya, Sayaji Shinde, Sonakshi Sinha, Atul Kulkarni, Shreya Dhanwanthary, and Prakash Raj publicly backing his stand.