Students' protest 'far bigger than any individual,' says Shabana Azmi
What's the story
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi (75) fell ill on Monday while protesting at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The incident happened after she joined the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest, which has been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET exam paper leak controversy. While she was initially taken to a less crowded space, she soon recovered and was seen getting into a truck with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and actor Prakash Raj.
Health concerns
What had happened to Azmi?
Azmi, who is a day younger than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reportedly suffered from dizziness, exhaustion, and stomach distress due to extreme weather conditions and overcrowding.
She went to the protest site on July 19, Sunday, as well, which was a day after environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk was forcefully removed from the protest site and hospitalized at Safdarjung Hospital by Delhi Police due to deteriorating health after an indefinite hunger strike.
Actor's statement
'Don't derail the protest by focusing on my health'
After her health scare, Azmi told Subhash K Jha, "Arrey Baba, I am okay now. It was just a dizzy spell. Don't derail the protest by focusing on my health or my presence."
"I only want to be a part of the protest. This cause is far bigger than any individual. A man is willing to give up his life. Bachhe bhook hartal pe hain (children are on fast)."
Activism
Azmi's history of activism
Azmi has a long history of activism. She is associated with the Navara Haq project, one of Asia's largest single slum rehabilitation projects that has rehabilitated over 40,000 people.
She also led a five-day hunger strike in Mumbai to stop slum demolitions, which resulted in permanent housing for over 50,000 evicted residents.
Through her NGO Mijwan Welfare Society, she works for the upliftment and education of girls and women in rural India.
Protest march
On absence of other Bollywood celebrities from the protest
On Monday, Azmi joined the CJP protest march.
When asked about the absence of other Bollywood celebrities, she said, "You are only worried about the fact that Bollywood celebrities are not present at the March. You don't worry about the absence of industrialists, all the businessmen."
"When you ask these questions, you (are) sidelining the cause and creating unnecessary controversy. You should support those who are marching for this cause, rather than diluting the matter."
Actor's statement
'In a democracy, people have the right to raise...'
Earlier, Azmi had addressed the gathering at Jantar Mantar.
She said she was standing with the students because their demands deserved to be heard.
"I have come here because I believe the concerns being raised by the students are important. In a democracy, people have the right to raise their voice peacefully," she said, urging authorities to engage in dialogue instead of confrontation.