New Delhi: Activist Sonam Wangchuk is suffering muscle loss and is in “immense pain” but has refused to end his hunger strike as various sections on Tuesday appealed to him to call off his 17-day fast and urged the government to initiate dialogue.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is protesting at Jantar Mantar for the past 25 days over the NEET issue, unveiled a five-point examination reform charter and claimed that support for its agitation was growing across political parties.
As Wangchuk’s health continued to deteriorate, several leaders like Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal among others requested the activist to end his fast.
Veteran actor Zeenat Aman appealed to the government to open a dialogue with Wangchuk, saying India should not “sit back and watch one of its greatest minds be sacrificed”.
Another member from the cinema world, ‘3 Idiots’ actor Omi Vaidya (who essayed the role of Chatur “Silencer” Ramalingam) urged people to pay attention to the deteriorating health of Wangchuk, saying he does not want the activist to die.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said Wangchuk has been losing muscle mass and was in “immense pain”, adding the activist has lost 8.5 kg since beginning of his fast.
“He has started losing muscle mass and is in immense pain. Like everyone else, I begged him to end his 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.
Addressing a press conference, CJP spokesperson Vaishnavi unveiled the five-point examination reform charter, calling for structural changes to India’s public examination system.
She alleged that despite repeated paper leaks over the past decade, there was no official database of such incidents and “virtually no accountability”, adding that there had not been a single conviction under the Public Examinations Act.
Among its key proposals, the charter seeks replacement of the existing law with a Public Examinations (Transparency, Accountability and Candidates’ Rights) Act, dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and creation of a statutory National Testing Commission, mandatory CAG audits of examination agencies, an independent Examinations Ombudsman, a Students’ Rights Charter and a National Aspirant Welfare Fund.
The health of several protesters who have joined the hunger strike led by Wangchuk has deteriorated.
All India Students’ Association (AISA) activist Deepak, who was admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on Monday after his health deteriorated, was discharged this morning.
The organisation said its remaining activists — Neha, Manish and Aameen — continued their indefinite fast at a separate stage at the protest site.
The CJP has been holding the protest demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
The CJP has also intensified preparations for its proposed “Chalo Sansad” march on July 20, the opening day of the Monsoon Session, and urged supporters to register their participation through its missed-call campaign.
Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said more than 1.3 lakh people have registered their support for the proposed Parliament march through the missed-call campaign.
Dipke said Mamata Banerjee spoke to Wangchuk over phone to enquire about his health, urged him to stay strong and extended solidarity to the CJP’s movement seeking justice for students.
Akhilesh Yadav took to X to make an appeal to Wangchuk.
“We humbly request and earnestly appeal to Shri Sonam Wangchuk ji to break his fast. His life is invaluable to the entire world because it embodies the same commitment to humanity and the environment as it does to democracy,” Yadav posted.
“The BJP government, which he is attempting to awaken through his fast unto death, is itself a principle-less and corrupt system. In its insensitivity and heartlessness, the sacrifice of anyone holds no significance; therefore, expecting any sense of propriety or change of heart from BJP members is utterly futile,” he said.
“For them (BJP), no one’s life holds any value. For them, money is paramount. They are intoxicated with the arrogance of wealth earned through corruption. Hoping for change in them is in vain. Those who are arrogant cannot be refined,” he added.
Kejriwal addressed a press conference here and extended his support to Wangchuk and the CJP protest.
“Sonam Wangchuk is on hunger strike for some days and his health is deteriorating. He is an asset of the country and I appeal him to end his hunger strike. There are other ways also for the struggle,” the former Delhi chief minister said.
Zeenat Aman posted on Instagram that the government must have “peaceful” talks with Wangchuk as it concerns the “future of all India”.
“We must not become a society that sits back and watches one of its greatest minds be sacrificed. India has a long history of peaceful protest; those who wield power are obliged to meet such protest with peaceful dialogue,” Aman wrote.
“With respect to Mr. Wangchuk’s wishes, I implore the Indian government to open dialogue on this matter that concerns the future of all India,” she added.
Actor Vaidya shared a video on his X handle to bring people’s attention to Wangchuk’s situation.
“I don’t want him to die. Hello idiots, pehchana? This is Omi Vaidya, Chatur from ‘3 Idiots’. I have an important message for you. I don’t really do this very often, so please listen up,” he said in the video.
Vaidya then reminded that Aamir Khan’s character in “3 Idiots” Phunsukh Wangdu was inspired by Wangchuk, calling him a “humble” and “pretty impressive person”.
“I suggest you look it up and see what he is up to because right now he is on a very long hunger strike, it is over several weeks, and his blood sugar has gone down very much.
“I don’t know if you have heard about this, I don’t know if the media is reporting this, but this is a pretty important thing… Why he is on the hunger strike ? He has some issues with the education system in India…and whether you agree with him or not, I don’t want him to die,” the actor said.
The CJP said it has reached out to leaders across party lines, including JP Nadda and Rahul Gandhi, inviting them to Jantar Mantar to stand in solidarity with the youths.
In a post on X, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said he and Dipke invited the leaders on July 9 and 10, asking them to join their peaceful protest against the alleged NEET paper leak, which is now in its 25th day.
Arundhati Roy, Naseeruddin Shah, other eminent persons urge CJP protesters to end hunger strike
A group of eminent citizens, including writer Arundhati Roy, actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, and economist Jayati Ghosh, appealed to protesters on indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to call off their fast, while extending full support to their demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
In a joint statement on Monday, the signatories said they were “immensely grateful” to the protesters for leading the agitation against the government but expressed deep concern over their worsening health.
“We salute your sense of purpose, the determination and courage with which you are spearheading this movement for students and youth across the country,” the statement said.
Appealing to the protesters to end their fast, they said, “We request you to please consider ending this hunger strike immediately in the interests of the longer and more difficult struggle ahead. This battle is a marathon, not a sprint, and we need you, your strength and leadership in the days to come.”
The signatories said they feared that the government’s alleged failure to respond to the demands could further jeopardise the health of those on hunger strike.
“We worry that their negligence in responding to your demands will only worsen the already fragile state of health that many of you are in,” they said.
The appeal came on the 24th day of the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest at Jantar Mantar and the 16th day of educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike.
According to the organisers, Wangchuk has lost 8.2 kilograms since he began fasting. His latest medical parameters showed a blood pressure of 107/70 mmHg and a blood glucose level of 67 mg/dL.
AISA activist Deepak, who was also on a hunger strike since June 28, was admitted to the RML Hospital on Monday after his health deteriorated.
The statement also appealed to the people of Delhi to participate in the CJP’s proposed march to Parliament on July 20, coinciding with the commencement of the monsoon session of Parliament.
Besides Roy, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah and Jayati Ghosh, the statement was signed by academics Anuradha Chenoy, Nivedita Menon, Tanika Sarkar and Aditya Nigam, filmmaker Sanjay Kak, activist Lalita Ramdas, Kavita Srivastava, feminist Madhu Bhushan and cultural practitioner Arundhati Ghosh.
The CJP has been holding a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on an indefinite fast since then. The organisation has announced a march to Parliament on July 20.
