Shabana Azmi falls ill with swine flu after taking part in student protests
Veteran actress Shabana Azmi said that she has tested H1N1 positive and will be in isolation for five days. Even while on bed rest, he expressed solidarity with the students who had joined during the Chalo Sansad protest.
Veteran actress Shabana Azmi said that she has tested positive for H1N1 (swine flu) and has been advised complete rest after suffering from high fever. In an Instagram post on Saturday, she said she would remain in isolation for the next five days. The 75-year-old woman also used the message to express solidarity with the protesters, whom she recently joined during the Chalo Sansad march in Delhi.
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Azmi was one of the first prominent voices from the film industry to publicly support the protests led by the chauvinist Janata Party (CJP) over examination irregularities at Jantar Mantar. She had joined protesting students and other citizens marching towards Parliament. Videos of his participation were widely shared on social media.
His support for the movement continued even after he fell ill, with the actor saying he was inspired by the courage and commitment of the youth participating in it.
Azmi shared her health update on Instagram, writing, “My dear Mumbaikars, I was supposed to join your protest yesterday, but I have contracted H1N1 and need to remain in isolation for the next five days. Nevertheless, I want to express my solidarity and appreciation.”
She said, “I am receiving first-hand reports from youth on the ground, many of whom have participated in a protest for the first time and have experienced how much their voices matter. I continue to be inspired by your courage and commitment and stand with you in solidarity.”
Let’s participate in the Parliament March
On Monday, July 20, Azmi joined thousands of citizens in the Walk to Parliament march as the monsoon session began. Later that day, she shared photos on social media in which she was seen with veteran actor Prakash Raj on top of a truck surrounded by protesters.
Welcoming reports that the government has finally agreed to negotiate with the students, he said the movement is “a peaceful protest” and rejected allegations suggesting otherwise.
Azmi also posted a video of herself walking among the protesters. Sharing it, she wrote, “I am climbing the protest site at Jantar Mantar with the help of young colleagues to demand reform in our educational system and reform of the entire system. To measure the success of our country, allocate 6 percent of GDP to education, public health and women empowerment.”
She also shared a video of herself reading poems by her father, poet Kaifi Azmi, and said that his poems reflect the price people often pay for speaking the truth.
Tear gas, asthma attack and return to protest site
Azmi later said that he suffered an asthma attack after being exposed to tear gas during protests in Delhi. in an interview with Indian ExpressThe veteran actor said, “I am an asthma patient and I had an attack due to the tear gas, but I had my pump with me, so I am fine now.” He said he was “respectfully taken to a nearby building” after falling ill.
After recovering with the help of her inhaler, Azmi said she returned to meet the students who, according to her, were lathicharged during the demonstration. He said, “Their spirit is phenomenal. My salute to all of them.” He had previously spoken about witnessing tear gas and police action during the march, while saying that protesters were determined to remain peaceful and would continue to demand talks with the government.
Why did she join the protests?
Explaining her decision to join the protest, Azmi said that she and her husband, lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar, had first tried to raise the issue with the Prime Minister in person. He said, “Javed saab and I had written a letter to the PM on July 15 asking that he should initiate talks with Sonam Wangchuk. We had assured that we were not making the letter public, we were requesting him in confidence. We got a reply that we would respond in two days. We waited and waited and then finally here we are.”
More information about the protest
The protests have intensified over the past few weeks after teacher and environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk started an indefinite hunger strike, which ended on Thursday night. On 20 July, students from across the country gathered in New Delhi and marched towards Parliament under the banner of Chalo Sansad March.
The march was stopped by Delhi Police, leading to clashes, which drew criticism and a heated debate on social media. The protesters are demanding talks with the central government and also the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.
Azmi’s participation made her one of the few members of the film fraternity to participate in the protests in person rather than limiting support to social media posts.