NEW DELHI: Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Tuesday refused to end his indefinite hunger strike despite worsening health, as his fast entered its 17th day and the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar completed 25 days.According to the CJP, Wangchuk has lost 8. 5kg since beginning his fast on June 28, is now suffering from muscle loss and “immense pain”, while his blood pressure has dropped to 109/70 mm Hg, news agency PTI reported.CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said he urged Wangchuk to call off the fast, but the activist remained firm.“He has started losing muscle mass and is in immense pain. Like everyone else, I begged him to end my fast. He calmly replied, ‘Don’t ask me to end my fast. Ask the government why they won’t even have a dialogue,’” Dipke said in a post on X.
Three student activists hospitalised as protest continues
Meanwhile, AISA activist Deepak, who was hospitalised on Monday after his health deteriorated during an indefinite hunger strike at a parallel protest site, was discharged on Tuesday morning after doctors found his ECG normal and pulse rate stable.Three student activists have been hospitalised since the indefinite fast began on June 28, while several others continue the hunger strike on water and salt, according to the All India Students’ Association (AISA).AISA said its national president Neha, a PhD scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), has lost 5.85 kg and her blood sugar level has fallen to 70 mg/dl.It claimed that Manish, AISA’s Uttar Pradesh president and a PhD scholar at Allahabad University, has lost 8.2 kg with a blood sugar level of 68 mg/dl, while Aameen, a PhD scholar at Dr BR Ambedkar University, Delhi, has lost 8.3 kg and his blood sugar has dropped to 54 mg/dl.The CJP has been demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Rs 1 crore compensation for families of students who allegedly died by suicide over examination irregularities linked to the NEET paper leak controversy.
Political backing grows ahead of Parliament march
As Wangchuk’s health worsened, the agitation continued to draw support from political leaders across party lines ahead of the CJP’s proposed “Chalo Sansad” march on July 20, coinciding with the opening of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.Dipke said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray separately called him to enquire about Wangchuk’s condition.According to Dipke, both leaders expressed concern over the activist’s deteriorating health and extended support to the July 20 Parliament march.Kejriwal also appealed to Wangchuk to end his hunger strike, calling him “an asset of the country”, while reiterating AAP’s support for the protest and demanding the immediate resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.He announced that he would visit Jantar Mantar on Thursday evening to express solidarity with the protesters.Earlier, Thackeray had publicly backed the agitation, urging political parties to support the movement without party flags.He appealed to Wangchuk to withdraw his fast, saying his life was invaluable, while accusing the Centre of failing to initiate dialogue despite the activist’s deteriorating condition.Thackeray also announced that Shiv Sena (UBT) would stage protests in Maharashtra on July 20 in solidarity with the Parliament march, and said the party’s MPs would raise the issue during the Monsoon Session.The CJP has also written to leaders across the political spectrum, including BJP president JP Nadda, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Akhilesh Yadav, Omar Abdullah, Chandrababu Naidu, Kanimozhi, Asaduddin Owaisi, Joseph Vijay and several others, inviting them to join the protest at Jantar Mantar.According to the outfit, several Opposition leaders, including Atishi, Mahua Moitra, Sagarika Ghose, Pushpendra Saroj, Arvind Sawant and CPI(M) leaders, have already visited the protest site.
Shinde hits out at Opposition
Reacting to the growing political support for the agitation, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde accused the Shiv Sena (UBT) of attempting to derive political mileage from Wangchuk’s protest.He alleged that the Opposition was trying to create unrest against the Narendra Modi-led government despite India’s economic progress.Shinde also claimed that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party had abandoned Bal Thackeray’s ideology and said the Shiv Sena’s alliance with the BJP-led NDA remained based on ideology rather than ministerial positions.Bollywood voices join the campaignThe protest has also begun attracting support from the entertainment industry.Veteran actor Zeenat Aman urged the Centre to initiate talks with Wangchuk, saying India should not “sit back and watch one of its greatest minds be sacrificed.”In an Instagram post, Aman appealed to the government to open a peaceful dialogue, saying the issue concerns “the future of all India.”She highlighted Wangchuk’s work as an education reformer, environmentalist and founder of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), while noting that he inspired the character of Phunsukh Wangdu in the film ‘3 Idiots’.Actor Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur “Silencer” Ramalingam in ‘3 Idiots’, also appealed to people to pay attention to Wangchuk’s condition.“I don’t want him to die,” Vaidya said in a video shared on X, urging people to understand the issues Wangchuk was raising rather than ignore the protest.
Protest enters fourth week
The CJP launched its protest on June 20 over alleged examination irregularities. Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has remained on an indefinite hunger strike since then.Apart from demanding the resignation of the education minister, the organisation has sought Rs 1 crore compensation for families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak controversy.The party is now mobilising supporters nationwide for its July 20 march to Parliament, saying the movement is no longer just about NEET but about accountability in India’s education system.(With agency inputs)
