Activist Iih refuses to be hospitalised

KATHMANDU, JULY 29

Initiator of ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign Iih, 26, who has been on fast-unto-death for the past 11 days, has refused to get admitted to the hospital. Supporters say his health continues to deteriorate.

Iih, has been staging the strike at Basantapur, demanding the government to effectively handle the coronavirus pandemic. Iih and Pukar Bam, 30, had earlier on July 7, ended their hunger strike on the 12th day after the Ministry of Health and Population agreed to fulfil their major demands. As the government failed to implement the agreement, the activists started the hunger strike for the second time.

Scores of youths, in support of the Satyagrahi have started gathering around the hunger strike location. Iih’s supporters have said he is getting weaker and his health condition is rapidly deteriorating. Aagrima KC, the movement coordinator said, “He will either get martyrdom or do good for the society this time. He has refused to end his hunger strike or get hospitalised.”

Yesterday Samairaa Shrestha, who was also staging the fastunto-death strike with Iih ended the strike after developing serious health complications.

The agitating activists have been long demanding to scrap the RDT tests, increase PCR tests and ensure quarantine safety. The main opposition Nepali Congress, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and other smaller parties have expressed solidarity with the satyagrahis. Today local youths of the Newar community organised a rally at Basantapur playing their traditional musical instruments in support of the movement.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 30, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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