“Sonam, It’s Done, Bro”: Salman Khan Urges Wangchuk To End Fast, Asks Students To Return Home
A day after backing the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s protest over paper leaks, actor Salman Khan has appealed to activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his hunger strike. The Bollywood star has also offered to send Wangchuk home-cooked meals and urged other protesting students to return home, noting that the prime minister has assured action over the leaks.
“Sonam, it’s done, bro. Don’t extend this. Keep the spirit for another day if there is a need, which I doubt, and eat something. If you want, I will send you food from home,” Khan wrote in an online post.
Wangchuk, an activist known for transforming education in Ladakh, has been on hunger strike since June 28, demanding accountability over the paper leaks and reforms in the education system.
Khan also stressed that students remain the country’s top priority and should not worry, pointing out that the prime minister has already given his assurance.
“The students are at the top priority, educationally and security-wise, so they need not worry and have their parents worried for them. The Honorable Prime Minister has tweeted, and I am sure that he will take strict action against all those people who are responsible for this leak. So students, please go back to your parents and homes,” the actor added.
‘Should Not Be Hijacked Politically’
Khan had earlier extended support to the students’ protest, warning against any attempt to “hijack” their cause. In an Instagram post, he praised the students for their “peaceful” demonstration and called them “courageous and brave.”
“This issue is between the students and the educational system, it should not be hijacked politically, the credit should only go to the students of our country, and I am sure the government will also give them all the support n make it a stronger educational system. It’s a win-win situation. Hoping and praying for a positive decision. God bless all of you who wanna be educated (sic),” he wrote in his earlier post.
Also Read:Paper Leak Crackdown : Govt Proposes Tougher Jail Terms, Heavier Fines
Actors Omi Vaidya, Zeenat Aman, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Abhay Deol, Sonakshi Sinha, and Riteish Deshmukh had also backed the protesting students.
What Kareena Kapoor, Mammootty Said
Besides Khan, the latest celebrities to weigh in on the issue are Kareena Kapoor and Mammootty. “I’ve sat with this for a few days, but I can’t sit with it any longer. The voices of so many young people asking to be heard are impossible to ignore… and they shouldn’t be,” Kapoor said in a statement on Instagram.
She added that education gives children hope, but only works if children believe in it. “And they stop believing the moment they suspect that honesty, hard work and merit don’t actually count. No child should have to wonder if their effort will be enough. They deserve a system they can trust, where merit is real, effort is rewarded, and every child starts on equal footing. That isn’t a lot to ask. It’s the bare minimum,” she said.
“When an entire generation speaks with one voice about its own future, listening isn’t a courtesy we extend. It’s an obligation we owe them,” she added.
South star Mammootty said the youth are the true treasure of the nation. “Listen to their voices. Protect them. Empower them,” he wrote on X.