Actor Naseeruddin Shah, in a joint statement with actor Ratna Pathak Shah, writer Arundhati Roy and economist Jayati Ghosh, appealed to educationist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk to end her indefinite hunger strike. He extended his support to the ongoing protest over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak. Wangchuk’s fast at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has entered the 17th day.

Wangchuk is part of the protest organized by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged leak of NEET-UG exam papers.

according to PTIThe signatories issued a joint statement on Monday. He said he was “extremely grateful” to Wangchuk and the protesters for continuing the movement, but expressed concern over his deteriorating health.

“We salute your sense of purpose, determination and courage with which you are leading this movement for students and youth across the country,” the statement said.

Appealing to Wangchuk and other protesters to end the hunger strike, he said, “We urge you to please consider ending this hunger strike immediately in the interest of the longer and more difficult struggle ahead. This fight is a marathon, not a race, and we need you, your strength and leadership in the days to come.”

The statement also expressed concern over the government’s silence on the demands of the protesters. “We are concerned that their negligence in responding to your demands will worsen the already delicate state of health of many of you,” it concluded.

Meanwhile, actor Omi Vaidya, best known for his role as Chatur Ramalingam (Silencer) 3 idiotsAlso expressed support for Wangchuk. Sharing an emotional video on Instagram titled – I don’t want Phunsukh Wangdu to dieVaidya urged people to pay attention to the issue Wangchuk is fighting for. The character of Phunsukh Wangdu in the film was inspired by Wangchuk’s life.

Recalling his meeting with Wangchuk, Vaidya described him as an interesting and humble person who achieved incredible things in his life. He urged people to know more about Wangchuk and the cause he was fighting for, noting that the activist had been on hunger strike for a long time and his blood sugar levels had dropped significantly.

Vaidya also said that support for Wangchuk should go beyond political or ideological differences. He described Wangchuk as an influential person and expressed hope that he would survive the hunger strike, regardless of whether people agreed with his views or not.

Vaidya concluded by encouraging people to look into the issues raised by Wangchuk and said they could connect with him personally or through the experiences of their family and friends.

Wangchuk and the CJP have received support from several political leaders since the protests began in Delhi on June 20. Wangchuk joined an indefinite hunger strike on 28 June. Along with demanding Pradhan’s resignation, the protesters are demanding a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide after the exam paper leak. He has also announced a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, the opening day of the monsoon session.