Top 10

10 activists who fought using hunger strike

10. Bhagat Singh

Bhagat Singh

Born in 1931 in a British-owned colonial district in India. Bhagat Singh grew up as an epitome of resistance to British rule over India. He became actively involved in the Indian independence movement, sparking several national protests and several stints in prison.

However, his biggest strike came when he was falsely convicted of the murder of Saunders and Channan Singh. He decided to popularize his plea and his complaints about better hygiene standards among political prisons by using the hunger strike. This strategy won over many prisoners who joined the protest to the point that they refused to break the fast even after the British authorities tempted them with delicious bits of food in their cells. They were determined to the cause and never touched anything of it.

Finally, after his plea was heard and implemented, he ended up on strike becoming a hero, but losing 119 pounds!

9. Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez

Born into a lower-class Mexican family, César was a hardworking man who spent much of his early life farming farms in Arizona and California. However, he was angered by the treatment most of his fellow migrants received from the agricultural lords. On these farms, they were considered slaves rather than a valuable labor force.

This prompted him to form the National Agricultural Workers Association; A rebel organization designed to defend the rights of these workers. He held rallies and protests winning most of the abused supporters. However, the strategy did not work. Therefore, he decided to organize several hunger strikes to highlight the plight of the workers and attract the attention of the cruel farm lords.

The strike lasted 36 days. And after his death in 1993, he was commemorated as a hero for defending the plight of migrant workers in the United States of America.

8. Parit Chiwarak

Parit Chiwarak

The leader of the anti-monarchy Thai government protest, Mr. Chiwarak, commonly known as “the penguin”, has become the modern hero of our generation. The Thammasat University student has been involved in several protests; How to tie white ribbons around Bangkok to highlight the disappearance of a fellow activist in Cambodia.

However, his popularity status exploded during his time in prison on March 15, 2021, when he decided that he would go on a hunger strike until he was granted bail. His hunger strike lasted 46 days when the activist was finally released from pretrial detention and granted bail.

7. Solange Fernox

Solange Fernex

The French-born activist became such an influential figure in the French political arena. For defending his policy to raise awareness about the impact of nuclear power on the environment and the potential risks that reactors could go bankrupt in a catastrophic event.

This led the influential politician to organize a 40-day hunger strike; That was aimed at inciting the public to vote against the implementation of nuclear energy. However, the cause was vile and futile as the public voted in favor of nuclear debarment thus accepting the effects of nuclear technology. In his valiant efforts as an activist, he is still highly regarded for his unwavering stance.

6. Irom Chanu Sharmila

Irom Chanu Sharmila

The Indian-born “Iron Lady of Manipura”, as she was commonly known, holds the record for the longest hunger strike in the world, lasting 500 weeks! Impossible? No. The government was forced to install a nasal drip to maintain her life throughout the cause of her hunger strike.

Following the Indian Armed Forces Special Powers Act which allowed soldiers to shoot on sight and kill according to their justified will; Ten unarmed civilians succumbed to such a policy. This angered many and Irom took the stand to reprimand such acts by starving. Despite being arrested by the government for trying to starve, her popularity grew every day throughout the period.

However, on July 26, 2016, she willingly broke her fast. She was rewarded with a lifetime achievement from the Asian Human Rights Commission for her unwavering acts and continues to be the inspirational voice for future generations.

5. Jatindra Nath Das

Jatindra Nath Das

The Indian activist was a crusader for the rights of political prisoners along with Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Both were prisoners in the Lahore Central Jail. His determination to search for him led him to undergo a 63-day fast to protect political prisoners from injustice.

Due to his unyielding posture not to eat, he was constantly beaten and endured a great deal of hardship that led to lung damage from being forced to eat. He was so steadfast in seeking him that even when paralysis consumed his entire body, he continued to fast from him. His popularity at this time was increasing among the public and the government feared for his release. He ended up dying in jail from the hunger strike.

4. Raymond McCreesh

Raymond McCreesh

The provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteer in the South Armagh Brigade was captured while attempting to ambush a British Army observation post. In March 1977 he was sentenced to fourteen years in prison for the act. And five more years for being a member of the IRA. He was also charged with killing 10 Protestant civilians in 1976 and was sent to the infamous Maze Prison.

He joined the general protest that was part of the five-year protest by IRA soldiers captured in Maze prison. Their status as political prisoners, also known as a special category, had begun to be eliminated, which meant that they would be treated as ordinary prisoners with a criminal record and had to start wearing prison uniforms and working like the rest of the ordinary prisoners.

Raymond and the rest of the convicted political prisoners rejected the terms and later participated in the 1981 Irish hunger strike to defend their rights as political prisoners. After spending 61 days on a hunger strike, he was found dead in his prison cell. The cause of death was severe starvation. At his burial, he received a heroic farewell with thousands upon thousands of people who attended his funeral.

3. Bobby Sands

Bobby Sands

The Irish-born activist of the 1950s generation remains forever grounded in Irish history for all good and bad reasons. After being arrested for possession of firearms in the Balmoral furniture bombing in Dunmurry, Sands became a disturbing prisoner.

He orchestrated a hunger strike in 1981. Along with other Republican prisoners protesting the removal of special category status; That prohibits political convicts for crimes related to privilege problems such as not having to work, not wearing uniforms, and additional visits, among others.

However, his 66 days of self-imposed starvation led to his eventual disappearance along with the other nine in the infamous 1981 hunger strike. This sparked a nationwide riot with the British Prime Minister accusing Mr. Sands of orchestrating his suicide mission.

2. Jawar Mohammed

Jawar Mohammed

Imagine the idea of having to suffer on behalf of others for their greater good by undergoing a fast in prison. Hats the lifestyle that Mr. Jawar voluntarily chose. This contemporary activist, former Ethiopian-based US citizen and member of the Oromo Federalist Congress became a trending topic on social media after undergoing a 39-day fast in prison. This was after an altercation with the popular musician and composer Oromo; Hachalu Hundessa was assassinated and later charged with the death of a law enforcement officer and incitement to violence along with other constitutional changes.

His main motive for undertaking the 39th hunger strike was to demand the release of Oromo; Leaders and members of opposition political parties. The opening of the offices of his party and the end of the mistreatment of the families of the prisoners by the security forces.

1. Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, became a renowned leader not only in India for his local government campaign, but also as a brand of passive resistance in the world.

In connection with the British government’s decision to separate the Indian electoral system by caste, Mahatma in his cell in Yerwada Prison in Pune decided to go on a hunger strike. This becomes the first of his sequel to hunger strikes that he calls “the death fast.” The strategy was in protest of the new Indian constitution that gave the lower classes a 70-year period of political representation. According to Gandhi, this would lead to a division between the social classes of India.

However, less than two weeks after breaking the fast, he was killed while he was on his way to an evening prayer meeting.