I’m seeing a lot of stories about protests in India including a march on parliament. Than the arrest of the opposition leader and another influential person on hunger strike.

But what is unclear is what is the background? And are they separate incidents or are they linked? If someone on the ground in India could detail what is happening, that would be great.

  • swipe1746@lemmy.world
    5·
    4 days ago

    I believe the person you are referring to is Sonam Wangchuk. He is an engineer, education reformer, and public figure known for promoting science and education. Coming from Ladakh, a region with unique geographic and climatic challenges, he has developed several practical innovations to help local communities address these issues. He has also contributed to education by helping establish learning institutions and initiatives that promote community focused education.

    He later became associated with CJP because of his passion for education and public causes, and chose to participate in its protest movement. As part of the protest, Mr. Wangchuk began an indefinite fast a traditional form of peaceful protest in India that has been used since the country’s struggle for independence. The demonstrations were organized at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, a location that has long been associated with public protests.

    During the fast, doctors reportedly carried out routine medical examinations to monitor his health. A few days ago, reports emerged alleging that police officers dressed in civilian clothes and posing as medical personnel entered the protest site. According to these reports, Mr. Wangchuk was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for medical evaluation. It was also reported that visitors were not permitted to meet him unless they surrendered their electronic devices, which led to public speculation and concerns about the circumstances of his detention.

    If I understand correctly, the other person you are referring to is Rahul Gandhi, the leading figure of the Indian National Congress. Reports surrounding his detention during the protest are still developing, and many details have yet to be confirmed. That said, incidents involving the detention or arrest of activists, journalists, opposition leaders, and protesters have become common enough in India that many people view them as part of a broader pattern of suppressing dissent. Even when pressure does not come directly from the government through legal action, politicians are often accused of relying on local supporters, strongmen, or criminal elements to intimidate, harass, or silence critics.

    • stumu415@lemmy.zipOP
      4·
      3 days ago

      Thank you for all the detailed information. Indeed it was Sonam Wangchuk and Rahul Gandhi.

      Your last paragraph is quite shocking about the current situation in India and the oppression. I was aware of the ongoing religious conflicts between the Hindu and Muslim as highlighted by the Ram Temple saga in 2024.

      Corruption is rampant in India as you indicated: 'Corruption in India is a significant issue that affects various sectors, with over 62% of Indians having paid a bribe to a public official at some point. The country ranked 91st out of 182 countries in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, indicating persistent challenges in tackling public sector corruption.’

      Will there be a point the Indian people will have enough of the oppression, corruption and revolt or is this not in the DNA of the people?

      In my humble opinion, India should be on the same path as China in regards to lifting people out of poverty, social security, technology, infrastructure but it seems like India is stuck in some dichotomy.

      • antrosapien@lemmy.mlEnglish
        4·
        2 days ago

        Just my two cents, difference between India’s and China’s independence movement is that in case if India, power was handed over by imperialists(there’s a saying here called Gora Raj to Bhura Raj, roughly translated to White rulers to Brown rulers) while China snatched the power. India’s independence movement was ofcourse very brutal but the power was still kept by bourgeoisie liberal government.

        And tbh, history and political science in high school is completely devoid of any actual political theory, and barely touching anything outside country’s history, very minimal topics regarding ww1 and ww2.

      • emergencyfood@sh.itjust.works
        1·
        2 days ago

        India is very different from China:

        1. India is much more diverse in terms of language, culture and history. India was politically unified for the first time in 1947. China has existed in some form since around the second century BC.
        2. Modern India is therefore one giant legal compromise, including British colonial law, laws from various princely states, community law and customary law. Some of this isn’t even written down. The fact that we haven’t broken apart is itself a miracle, and required a lot of compromise and ‘strategic ambiguity’.
        3. We also have this thing called caste, and many forms of discrimination still exist.
        4. What all of this means is that India is not a single nation moving in a single direction, but hundreds of communities with their own priorities, negotiating with each other, and forming alliances and rivalries. (Just to give an example, someone from the northeast or south might not even have heard about the Ram Temple case you mentioned.)
        5. So while Chinese officials and leaders are chosen through exams and performance reviews, Indian officials and leaders are chosen through quotas and political compromises. (This isn’t an entirely bad thing - it ensures that no group is left out.)

        So I don’t think India will be able to grow as fast as China. Parts of India have grown quite well - mostly in the south - and others will hopefully move in this direction.