Delhi Police removed activist Sonam Wangchuk from his indefinite hunger-strike site at Jantar Mantar on Saturday and took him to Safdarjung Hospital.
The forced removal of the activist signals escalating tensions between the Indian government and protesters seeking specific administrative and political protections for the Ladakh region.
Gitanjali J Angmo, Wangchuk's wife, said he remains on hunger strike and is consuming only water and salt [1]. She said her husband was brought to Safdarjung Hospital without the consent of either him or his family [2].
Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of CJP, said Wangchuk did not want to go to the hospital but was taken away and hidden under white sheets [3]. The removal occurred as police enforced an order for protesters to vacate the Jantar Mantar site [4].
Medical reports indicate a decline in Wangchuk's health during the strike. His potassium level dropped to 2.9 mmol/L, down from 4.3 mmol/L a day earlier [5].
While Delhi Police said the removal was a procedural matter following appeals for protesters to end their agitation [4], family and associates said the action was coercive [2, 3]. Despite the hospitalization, Angmo said the movement continues and that she would lead if Wangchuk is unable to do so [2].
“He remains on hunger strike and is consuming only water and salt.”
The forced hospitalization of Sonam Wangchuk underscores the Indian government's effort to clear protest sites in the capital, even as the activist's deteriorating health creates a potential flashpoint. By maintaining the strike within a medical facility, Wangchuk and his supporters are attempting to transition the protest from a public square to a clinical setting without conceding their political demands for Ladakh.
