One man’s hunger strike changed India’s map. Can it still change politics?
Hunger strikes have repeatedly shaped Indian politics, most notably when Potti Sriramulu’s 58-day fast in 1952 helped secure a separate Andhra state for Telugu speakers and contributed to India’s later linguistic reorganisation. The article argues that this legacy, rooted in religious traditions and amplified by Mahatma Gandhi, explains why fasting remains a potent form of protest despite concerns about its ethics and risks.
The immediate example is Sonam Wangchuk, a 59-year-old educationist and climate activist who has fasted for 19 days on salt water in Delhi in support of an online satirical group demanding education reforms. He has reportedly lost more than 9kg, and the Delhi High Court has directed the government to monitor his health and provide treatment if necessary; the episode highlights both the continuing political symbolism of hunger strikes and their personal cost.
In short
- Hunger strikes remain deeply embedded in Indian political protest.
- Sriramulu’s death helped create Andhra and reshape India’s map.
- Wangchuk’s fast has renewed concern over protest and health risks.
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The case for
A hunger strike can make a neglected cause visible by showing that protesters are willing to bear personal costs rather than impose them on others. In India, where fasting has religious and political resonance, it can offer a disciplined, non-violent way to press authorities to engage, as Sriramulu’s fast helped bring the demand for an Andhra state to national attention.
The case against
A protester’s self-inflicted deprivation can place intense moral and political pressure on officials, making it harder to distinguish persuasion from coercion. Hunger strikes also carry serious risks to health, and their symbolic power may draw attention away from the merits of the demand or from slower democratic processes for resolving it.
Explained simply
Hunger strikes have held particular political significance in India, rooted in religious traditions and popularised internationally by Mahatma Gandhi. The practice persists as a form of protest despite concerns about its ethics and the serious physical risks it poses to those who undertake it.
The most striking historical example is Potti Sriramulu, who fasted for 58 days in 1952 demanding a separate state for Telugu speakers. His strike succeeded in creating Andhra state, and the success contributed to India's later reorganisation along linguistic lines, demonstrating the tactic's potential power.
The continuing significance of hunger strikes in Indian politics is evident in the way campaigners and activists still use them to pursue political change. These cases reveal both the deep-rooted symbolic weight of fasting in Indian public life and the serious personal cost it demands of those involved.