From Mahatma Gandhi’s freedom movement campaigns to Sonam Wangchuk’s ongoing fast in Delhi, hunger strikes have remained one of India’s most powerful forms of peaceful protest. Over decades, activists and political leaders have used fasting as a way to draw attention to public grievances, demand accountability and push governments towards dialogue.
Wangchuk, an education reformer and climate activist from Ladakh, began an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over demands linked to accountability in competitive examinations, including alleged NEET-UG irregularities, while seeking action from the government.
His deteriorating health led to legal intervention, with the Delhi High Court directing daily medical monitoring and stating that every citizen’s life is precious. He was later shifted to hospital after doctors advised medical intervention.
The history of hunger strikes in India, however, goes far beyond one protest. From Gandhi’s fasts against colonial policies and communal violence, Bhagat Singh’s 116-day jail hunger strike, Potti Sriramulu’s fast that led to the creation of Andhra Pradesh, Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement and environmental activist Swami Nigamananda’s tragic death, hunger strikes have repeatedly influenced political conversations and public movements.
A Tradition Of Moral Protest
In India’s political history, hunger strikes have often been viewed as a form of moral pressure rather than physical confrontation. The idea behind fasting as a protest is that a person voluntarily sacrifices their own comfort and health to highlight what they believe is an injustice.
Mahatma Gandhi transformed fasting into a significant tool of non-violent resistance during the freedom struggle. For Gandhi, a fast was not simply a political strategy but a method of self-purification and a way to appeal to the conscience of opponents.
His major fasts included the Ahmedabad Mill Strike in 1918, protests against the Rowlatt Act in 1919, his 1924 fast for Hindu-Muslim unity, the 1932 fast against separate electorates under the British government’s Communal Award, and his final fast in 1948 to promote communal harmony after Partition.
Gandhi’s approach influenced generations of activists who saw hunger strikes as a peaceful way to challenge authority. However, unlike ordinary protests, hunger strikes carry an inherent risk because the protester’s health becomes part of the movement itself.
Freedom Fighters And Political Change
One of the most historic hunger strikes during India’s freedom struggle was undertaken by Bhagat Singh and fellow revolutionary prisoners in 1929. While imprisoned in Lahore Central Jail, Bhagat Singh and his comrades demanded equal treatment for Indian political prisoners, including better food, clothing and access to books.
The protest lasted 116 days and attracted widespread public attention. Revolutionary Jatin Das died after 63 days of fasting, turning the hunger strike into a national issue and intensifying criticism of British colonial policies.
The movement demonstrated how a hunger strike could transform a prison protest into a larger political campaign. It also highlighted how individual sacrifice could mobilise public opinion against an unjust system.
Fasts That Redrew India’s Map
Perhaps one of the most consequential hunger strikes in independent India was undertaken by Potti Sriramulu in 1952. A follower of Gandhi, Sriramulu fasted for a separate Telugu-speaking state. After 58 days of fasting, he died, leading to widespread protests across the Telugu-speaking regions.
The public unrest eventually pushed the government to create Andhra State in 1953. The decision later became a major step towards the linguistic reorganisation of Indian states in 1956.
Sriramulu’s fast showed how a single protest could reshape India’s administrative structure and influence decades of regional politics.
Environment, Land And People’s Movements
Hunger strikes have also played a major role in environmental and social justice movements.
Medha Patkar’s involvement in the Narmada Bachao Andolan brought national attention to concerns surrounding large dam projects, displacement and rehabilitation of affected communities. Through repeated protests and hunger strikes, the movement questioned whether development projects could proceed without adequately addressing the rights of displaced people.
Although the movement did not achieve all of its demands, it influenced public debates around environmental protection, rehabilitation policies and the responsibility of governments towards vulnerable communities.
Similarly, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s 2006 hunger strike against land acquisition for the Tata Nano project in Singur became a defining moment in state politics. Her 26-day fast against the acquisition of farmland helped build public opposition to the project and became an important factor in the political narrative that eventually led to the change of government in West Bengal in 2011.
Anna Hazare And The Anti-Corruption Wave
In 2011, social activist Anna Hazare’s hunger strike at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan became one of the largest anti-corruption movements in recent Indian history.
Hazare demanded a stronger Lokpal law to investigate corruption cases involving public officials. The fast received widespread public support, with thousands joining demonstrations across the country.
The movement pushed corruption and transparency into the centre of national political discussion. It also influenced the emergence of a new political movement and changed the way civil society campaigns used public mobilisation and social media.
When Hunger Strikes Turn Tragic
Not every hunger strike has resulted in political success. Some have ended with serious consequences for protesters.
Swami Nigamananda, an environmental activist, undertook a prolonged hunger strike in 2011 against alleged illegal mining activities near the Ganga river in Uttarakhand. After fasting for nearly four months, he died, bringing renewed attention to environmental concerns and questions around protecting activists during prolonged protests.
His death became a reminder that hunger strikes, despite being non-violent, involve significant physical risks and raise difficult questions about the balance between individual choice and the responsibility of authorities to protect life.
Sonam Wangchuk And A New Chapter Of Protest
Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike has once again brought national attention to the role of fasting as a democratic tool. Known for his work in education reform and climate innovation, Wangchuk has previously been associated with campaigns seeking greater constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, including demands related to statehood and Sixth Schedule protections.
The Union government has said it has engaged with Ladakh representatives through dialogue mechanisms and highlighted measures taken for the region, while protesters have continued to seek stronger guarantees.
During his latest fast, concerns over his health increased as doctors monitored his condition. The Delhi High Court directed authorities to ensure regular medical monitoring and allowed medical intervention based on doctors’ advice. The government told the court that medical assistance could be provided according to medical assessments.
His protest has revived a familiar question in India’s democratic journey: when citizens feel unheard, how far should they go to demand attention from those in power?
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
India’s history shows that hunger strikes have been more than acts of personal sacrifice; they have often been expressions of people’s desire to be heard. From the freedom struggle to modern social movements, fasting has provided citizens a peaceful method to raise concerns and seek accountability.
At the same time, democratic systems must ensure that disagreements are addressed through dialogue before situations reach a point where individuals risk their health to make their voices heard. Governments, activists and citizens all share responsibility in protecting the values of empathy, non-violence and constructive conversation.
Also read: Sonam Wangchuk Stable but Weak After 21-day Hunger Strike, Says Safdarjung Hospital
