With educationist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike entering its 20th day many celebrities have shown solidarity with him. Actors like Sonakshi Sinha, Imran Khan, Fatima Sana Sheikh, Shabana Azmi, Zeenat Aman, Prakash Raj, and Naseeruddin Shah have expressed their concern for Wangchuk’s health and have drawn attention to his cause. Amidst all this, many citizens have also begun condemning stars who have been turning a blind eye to the protest.
Recently actor-businessman Vivek Oberoi was asked by presspersons to respond to Wangchuk and the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest. Deflecting the question, Vivek called himself an “actor not a politician.” He said that he doesn’t closely follow political matters but believes every voice deserves space in a healthy democracy.
“Yaar main abhineta hu, neta nahi hu. Toh main political cheezon pe dhyaan nahi deta hun. Hum toh observe karte hai, seekhte hai. Life mein bohot kuch dekhne aur seekhne ko mil raha hai (Look, I am an actor, not a politician. So, I don’t pay much attention to political matters. I simply observe and learn; there is so much to see and learn in life),” he told the media.
He added, “Observe ye kiya hai ki ye bhi ek nayi cheez thi aur mujhe lagta hai ek healthy democracy mein har awaaz ko apni jagah milti hai. Ye logo ne agar apni awaaz vyakt ki hai toh ye healthy democracy ka sign hai (What I have observed is that this was a new experience, and I believe that in a healthy democracy, every voice finds its place. If these people have expressed their voice, then it is a sign of a healthy democracy).”
It should be noted that Vivek played the role of the Prime Minister in the 2019 film PM Narendra Modi.
The ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar, led by the social media collective Cockroach Janta Party, began on June 20, with Wangchuk joining the movement on June 28. The demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Rs 1 crore in compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. They have also announced a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, the opening day of the Monsoon Session.