Guwahati, July 26 -- Chakravarti Rajagopalachari asked Mahatma Gandhi, "Can you fast against the goondas?" Gandhi replied, "It is we who make goondas. Without our sympathy and passive support, the goondas would have no legs to stand upon. I want to touch the hearts of those who are behind the goondas."

Many people might have asked Sonam Wangchuk a similar question: Whom is he fasting for? If the opposing side has no compassion, can such a fast achieve anything? Perhaps, like Gandhi, he believes that his opponents' hearts can still be changed.

People nationwide have been deeply affected by Wangchuk's hunger strike. Even those who oppose the Cockroach Party feel distressed. At the same time, an exercise in narrative-building is under way,...