Sonam Wangchuk hospitalisation row: Anna Hazare urges Centre to hold dialogue
Ahmednagar (Maharashtra): Social activist Anna Hazare on Saturday urged the Centre to hold talks with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk after the latter was admitted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital following deterioration in his health, resulting from 20 days of hunger strike.
Speaking to reporters, Hazare said: “There should be an understanding; the problem can be solved only through dialogue and mutual understanding.”
“As far as possible, attempts must be made to solve the issue by holding talks,” he reiterated.
He further said: “If we want to carry society along, efforts should be made to settle disputes through mutual consent. If the matter is prolonged unnecessarily, it will not lead to a solution.”
In a similar agitation, Anna Hazare had led a 13-day hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and Ramlila Maidan in 2011, known as the “India Against Corruption” movement.
Hazare eventually ended his strike after the then Congress-led UPA government agreed to constitute a joint drafting committee for the Lokpal Bill.
Significantly, Wangchuk had been on a hunger strike at the national capital’s Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak.
The agitation was being led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).
Meanwhile, Safdarjung Hospital released a fresh medical bulletin, stating that Sonam Wangchuk is showing signs of dehydration, compensated acidosis, low serum potassium, blood sugar of 78 mg/dl, and rising urinary ketones, while continuing to refuse intravenous fluids, oral rehydration and medication.
According to the hospital, Wangchuk was conscious at the time of admission and his vital parameters, including pulse, blood pressure and oxygen saturation, were stable.
However, medical examinations indicated dehydration, compensated acidosis, decreased serum potassium, and blood sugar of 78 mg/dl. The hospital further noted that urinary ketones, which were recorded at 1+ at the time of admission, had risen to 3+ later in the day.
Earlier in the day, the climate activist’s wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, wrote a letter to the hospital asking to complete discharge formalities at the earliest so that the agitator can be shifted to a medical centre of the family’s choice, citing “lack of transparency” in his treatment.