Every hunger strike begins with the belief that refusing food can achieve what negotiations, appeals or petitions cannot. For centuries, fasting has been used as a form of protest, and in the modern era, Mahatma Gandhi transformed it into one of the most enduring methods of non-violent resistance. Yet history shows that no two hunger strikes have ended in the same way.
Some have concluded through negotiations that resulted in policy changes, while others ended after governments offered assurances. In certain cases, protesters died without seeing their demands fulfilled. In prolonged agitations, authorities have intervened with force-feeding to prevent deaths.
That history has once again come into focus as Ladakhi activist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted from the protest site at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday, the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike. Despite being admitted as a precaution against possible health complications, Wangchuk has continued to refuse both food and medical treatment.
His wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, has shared a message stating that Wangchuk wants the movement to continue and has urged supporters to participate in the July 20 "Chalo Sansad" march demanding accountability over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.
In a note from the hospital, Wangchuk also outlined three conditions under which he said he would consider ending his hunger strike.
He remains under constant medical observation while doctors continue counselling him to accept treatment.
Whether his protest ultimately ends through negotiations, medical intervention or another course of action remains uncertain. History offers no consistent pattern for how such hunger strikes conclude.
Since Independence, hunger strikes in India have produced varied outcomes. Some have altered the country's political landscape, others have shaped legislation or public policy, while several ended without achieving their stated objectives.
More than the duration of a fast, factors such as the prevailing political environment, public support and the willingness of governments to engage have often determined how these protests eventually ended.
Potti Sriramulu: The fast that led to the creation of Andhra State
One of the most consequential hunger strikes in independent India was undertaken by Gandhian activist Potti Sriramulu.
On October 19, 1952, Sriramulu began a fast unto death in Madras (now Chennai), demanding a separate state for Telugu-speaking people. Prior to this, he had undertaken several fasts on social issues, including temple entry for Dalits.
He continued fasting for 58 days. The central government, led by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was initially unwilling to reorganise states along linguistic lines. Sriramulu died on the night of December 15–16, 1952.
His death triggered widespread protests and violence across Telugu-speaking regions, with demonstrations intensifying and public infrastructure coming under attack.
Four days later, on December 19, 1952, Nehru announced the formation of a separate Andhra State, which officially came into existence on October 1, 1953. The development marked the creation of India's first linguistic state and eventually paved the way for the nationwide reorganisation of states on linguistic lines.
Irom Sharmila's 16-year fast against AFSPA
If Sriramulu's protest demonstrated the political impact of a fast ending in death, Irom Sharmila's hunger strike illustrated how a protest could continue for years without achieving its primary objective.
Sharmila began her fast on November 5, 2000, following the killing of 10 civilians in Malom, Manipur. She demanded the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), a law that grants special powers to the armed forces in areas designated as disturbed.
Supporters of the legislation have argued that it is essential for counter-insurgency operations, while critics have maintained that it enables human rights violations by providing extensive legal protections to security personnel.
For the next 16 years, Sharmila was repeatedly arrested under the then-existing law relating to attempted suicide and was force-fed through a nasogastric tube while in judicial custody.
In August 2016, she ended her fast by tasting honey, announcing that she would continue her campaign through electoral politics. She later formed the People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) and contested the 2017 Manipur Assembly elections, although unsuccessfully.
Although AFSPA has since been withdrawn from several parts of the Northeast, her demand for its complete repeal remained unfulfilled when she ended her protest.
Anna Hazare and the anti-corruption movement
Social activist Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement in 2011 demonstrated another possible outcome of a hunger strike.
Hazare began fasting at Jantar Mantar in April 2011, demanding the enactment of a stronger anti-corruption law through the Jan Lokpal Bill. A second hunger strike at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan in August evolved into one of the largest public movements in independent India.
The August fast lasted 13 days. Parliament subsequently adopted a "Sense of the House" resolution addressing three key demands raised by the movement, after which Hazare ended his fast by accepting coconut water and honey.
Although the Jan Lokpal Bill sought by activists was not enacted in its original form, the campaign significantly influenced the national debate on corruption and contributed to the eventual passage of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
Hazare has undertaken several other hunger strikes over governance reforms, the appointment of the Lokayukta in Maharashtra and issues concerning farmers. Many of these protests ended after governments issued written assurances, although implementation was often partial or delayed.
Medha Patkar and the Narmada Bachao Andolan
Social activist Medha Patkar has repeatedly used hunger strikes to advocate for people displaced by development projects.
As one of the leading figures of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, she undertook multiple fasts demanding proper rehabilitation for families affected by the Sardar Sarovar Dam project.
In 2006, Patkar observed a 20-day indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi seeking to halt construction of the dam. The protest attracted national attention and prompted the Supreme Court to seek reports on the rehabilitation of displaced families.
Despite the scrutiny, construction continued under judicial supervision.
In 2011, Patkar again launched a 13-day hunger strike opposing the redevelopment of Mumbai's Golibar slums, alleging that residents were being evicted without adequate rehabilitation.
The protest led to discussions with the Maharashtra government and judicial review of the rehabilitation process. Although the projects largely proceeded, her protests brought issues of displacement and rehabilitation into the national spotlight.
G.D. Agrawal's campaign to protect the Ganga
Environmental activist and IIT Kanpur professor G.D. Agrawal, later known as Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand, repeatedly used fasting to campaign for the conservation of the Ganga.
One of his earlier fasts in 2009 resulted in the suspension of hydroelectric projects along a stretch of the Bhagirathi River.
In 2018, at the age of 86, Agrawal began another indefinite fast in Haridwar, demanding legislation to protect the Ganga, the cancellation of hydroelectric projects on the river and stronger environmental safeguards.
After fasting for 111 days, he stopped consuming water orally. He was admitted to a hospital but died on October 11, 2018.
Unlike his earlier campaigns, the 2018 protest ended without securing the comprehensive policy changes he had sought. While his death renewed debate over river conservation, it did not result in a negotiated settlement.
Hunger strikes around the world
Fasting has also been employed as a political tool in several countries.
One of the most prominent examples occurred in 1981, when Irish republican Bobby Sands and nine other prisoners died during a hunger strike in Northern Ireland's Maze Prison while demanding recognition as political prisoners. Although the British government did not formally concede their demands, the protest attracted global attention and intensified political tensions.
In the early 20th century, imprisoned British suffragettes used hunger strikes while campaigning for women's voting rights, with many subjected to force-feeding. The movement ultimately contributed to women's suffrage, alongside broader political developments and women's contributions during the First World War.
American labour leader Cesar Chavez also used fasting during the United Farm Workers movement. His best-known hunger strike in 1968 lasted 25 days and drew national attention to poor wages, unsafe working conditions and inadequate labour protections for farmworkers. He later undertook additional fasts in 1972 and 1988 against labour practices and the use of pesticides.
Palestinian prisoners have similarly carried out prolonged hunger strikes to protest issues such as administrative detention.
As in India, the outcomes of these international hunger strikes have varied considerably.
With Sonam Wangchuk continuing his fast from a hospital bed, it remains too early to determine how his protest will eventually conclude.
