New Delhi: “Thank you all. I love you all. I am strong with half my muscles,” activist Sonam Wangchuk said as he lay on a mattress on the stage at Jantar Mantar. His indefinite hunger strike entered the 18th day Wednesday. He drew chants of “We love you Sonam” and “Sonam tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hain”.The 59-year-old activist joined cause with Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which was formed after the NEET paper leak and demanded the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.Despite the ongoing protest and hunger strike, not just by Wangchuk but also by several others at Jantar Mantar, there has been no overt attempt by central govt to find a way out of the logjam. A PIL was filed Wednesday before Delhi High Court, warning that Wangchuk’s deteriorating health could turn life-threatening.The protest site Wednesday witnessed a fresh show of support, with Bhim Army chief and Lok Sabha MP Chandrashekhar Azad joining the demonstrators. Endorsing the protesters’ July 20 march to Parliament, Azad appealed to his supporters to join in. He also announced that if the demands were not met, he would spend every night at the protest site after July 20.“I will not ask Sonam to end his hunger strike… But mark my words, if anything happens to him, govt will be held responsible,” Azad said. “A Union education minister who cannot safeguard the integrity of the country’s examination system cannot be expected to safeguard the nation’s future.” CPI Rajya Sabha MP P Santosh Kumar and comedian Kunal Kamra were among the others who visited the site Wednesday. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, meanwhile, shared an open letter on X, urging Wangchuk to end his fast. “You have awakened the conscience of the nation; that is what a fast is meant to do. India needs your voice for the long road ahead. With Parliament in session again from Monday, we will have an opportunity to raise the students’ issues in the highest forum of our democracy,” he wrote.“And finally, to govt: I respectfully urge you to reach out and engage in the dialogue our democracy owes its young citizens. That is not weakness; that is statesmanship,” he added.CJP founder Abhijit Dipke, however, urged supporters not to pressure Wangchuk into ending his fast. “We asked Sonam sir about breaking the fast. He said ‘Please don’t ask me to do it. Ask govt to listen to our demands’,” he said. Dipke called on people to observe a one-day mass hunger strike Thursday in solidarity with Wangchuk.Wangchuk is undergoing daily medical examination and monitoring. Doctors said his health was stable at the moment. According to Wangchuk’s vitals recorded around 4.30pm Wednesday, his weight stood at 57.15 kg, heart rate was 71 beats per minute, hydration level was categorised as “alert” and his mental state was recorded as “fair”. He has lost 8.5kg since starting the fast, CJP representatives said.Prolonged fasting, medical experts pointed out, carries the risk of serious complications. Dr Sonia Lal Gupta, senior neurologist and joint managing director of Metro Group of Hospitals, told TOI that after nearly three weeks of fasting, the body starts breaking down fat and muscle, resulting in weakness, dizziness and dehydration. Prolonged fasting can lead to kidney damage, disturbances in heart rhythm, organ dysfunction and cognitive changes.On force-feeding, Dr Gupta said, “The dominant objective of medical intervention is to maintain respect for patient autonomy while determining whether the person understands the risks of ongoing fasting… If the individual retains decision-making capacity, forced feeding cannot be ethically justified. In contrast, if he is not able to make conscious choices, the issue of necessity of medical intervention is built under the relevant legal guidelines, a will, or some other court action.”The education ministry and Delhi Police did not respond to TOI’s queries.(with inputs from Milonee Mishra)
