Suppress Protests and You Get Sri Lanka or Bangladesh': Wangchuk Warns India Over Anti-SIR Crackdown

Prominent Indian activist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk has issued a stark warning to Indian authorities, cautioning that suppressing public protests could lead to the kind of mass uprisings witnessed recently in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — two nations where governments were ultimately overwhelmed by popular discontent.

Wangchuk Speaks Out Against Crackdown

Wangchuk, widely known as one of India's most respected civil society voices and the inspiration behind the Bollywood character "Phunsukh Wangdu" in the film 3 Idiots, made the remarks in direct response to authorities clamping down on demonstrations against the Sixth Schedule Implementation Regulation, commonly referred to as the SIR.

The activist drew pointed parallels with recent political upheaval in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, both of which experienced dramatic government collapses following sustained public protests. His message was clear: when citizens are denied the right to peacefully demonstrate their grievances, the consequences can be far more destabilising than the protests themselves.

Context Behind the Anti-SIR Protests

The demonstrations against the SIR have drawn considerable public participation, with protesters demanding accountability and policy reform. Critics of the regulation argue that it fails to adequately protect the rights and interests of local communities, and they have taken to the streets to make their voices heard through organised agitation.

Rather than engaging with demonstrators through dialogue, authorities reportedly moved to restrict and suppress the protests — a response that Wangchuk condemned as both undemocratic and potentially dangerous.

"Sri Lanka and Bangladesh happen when protests are not allowed," Wangchuk stated, underlining his belief that peaceful dissent is a fundamental pillar of any functioning democracy.

A Lesson From the Region

Sri Lanka's dramatic economic and political crisis of 2022 saw citizens storming the presidential palace, ultimately forcing then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign. Similarly, Bangladesh witnessed a powerful student-led movement in 2024 that toppled the long-ruling government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Both events stand as powerful reminders across South Asia of what can unfold when governments consistently ignore or silence public grievances rather than addressing them constructively.

Wangchuk's remarks are likely to resonate strongly in Sri Lanka, where the memory of those tumultuous events remains fresh, and where citizens continue to reflect on the importance of democratic accountability and the right to peaceful protest as safeguards against authoritarian overreach.