It is insensitive and downright cruel to refer to the ISA hunger strike as a cheap publicity stunt. How else are we to highlight the plight of people who have been denied their rights as citizens of a supposedly democratic country?

Let's face the fact, a hunger strike has, since the turn of the century, been a non-religious form of expression to bring to light issues that certain quarters are trying to evade. When Mahatma Gandhi was on his crusade to stamp out inequalities in India, he went on a hunger strike and succeeded in making a change.

A hunger strike is a non-violent form of protest and should be regarded as such and not be viewed under any form of religious practice.