'I am still alive': Indian activist on hunger strike for 26 days loses 11kg

Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesActivist Sonam Wangchuk has been on a Hunger Strike for over 25 daysIndian activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a Hunger Strike for 26 days in support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), says he has lost 11kg (24lb) but is "still alive".Popularly known as "Sonam sir", Wangchuk has been the main draw at the youth-led movement seeking Education Reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.He was forcibly removed from the CJP's protest venue at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday and taken to hospital from where he continues his fast. Meanwhile, thousands continue to turn up at the protest venue even after the brutal police crackdown on Monday's march to parliament which left dozens of protesters and policemen injured.Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesHuge crowds continue to gather around the protest site in DelhiAs Wangchuk has grown increasingly frail, concerns over his health have mounted. Before being taken to hospital, he endured 21 days in Delhi's scorching summer heat on nothing but salt and water.In a statement on Wednesday, Medanta Hospital, Gurugram, said the activist was admitted to the ICU. "He is being treated by a multidisciplinary team of doctors. At present, he is stable, oriented, and his vital signs are within accepted parameters. All treatment being administered to him is in accordance with his informed consent."On Wednesday, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, dozens of opposition MPs, activists and celebrities renewed their request to him to call off his Hunger Strike. Health Minister JP Nadda, who had visited the activist at the hospital on Tuesday night, said he had also requested him to break his fast. "We inquired about his health and well-being. We also requested him to break his fast, join the mainstream, and guide the children in the right direction," he said, adding that the government was open to discuss the issues raised by Wangchuk.But Wangchuk has refused all entreaties. Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesHealth Minister JP Nadda visited the activist at the hospital and said he had requested him to break his fastIn a three-minute video statement from his hospital bed on Wednesday night, the activist said: "Many leaders, including ministers from the ruling party, have appealed to me to end my fast. I want to do that too because my work is important to me."But, he said, he would not end his Hunger Strike unless the government gave him an assurance that no force or retaliatory action would be used against students. "If I receive that assurance soon, I will end my Hunger Strike today. If not, I will unfortunately have to continue," he said.The activist said he wanted "to salute all the students who conducted themselves with remarkable restraint" during Monday's crackdown on the CJP. "Despite being lathi-charged [beaten with sticks], they did not retaliate. Seeing the brutal action against them, I decided to continue my Hunger Strike," he said.Wangchuk's statement and an earlier letter to federal ministers he met on Tuesday night omitted any mention of Pradhan's resignation, but the CJP insisted the demand remained non-negotiable."The peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar will continue until Pradhan resigns," Dipke told his supporters. "We will not let Sonam sir's Hunger Strike go in vain. We will not let the brutal assault on students go in vain," he added.Students blame Mr Pradhan for repeated leaks of major public exams, most recently the medical entrance test, and say he must take moral responsibility and resign.On Monday, tens of thousands marched through central Delhi after the CJP called for a parliament march as the monsoon session opened. At least 60 protesters and 118 police officers were injured in clashes after police used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowds. Police arrested 70 protesters, most of whom have since been released on bail. Officers also dismantled the protest's stage and makeshift tents at Jantar Mantar, but demonstrators have refused to leave, maintaining a round-the-clock sit-in under heavy police and paramilitary deployment.Since Wednesday, authorities have closed 16 Delhi metro stations in central Delhi. While they have not given a reason, protesters say the move is meant to stop people reaching Jantar Mantar.ReutersPolice charged at protesters with batons and tear gas during the 20 July marchA satirical political movement, CJP was inspired by remarks made earlier this year by India's chief justice, who used the word "cockroach" to describe unemployed young people turning to journalism and activism. After the comments sparked outrage, he said he had been referring only to those with "fake and bogus degrees".Monday's huge turnout showed that the CJP, though not a registered political party, has evolved into a movement capable of drawing tens of thousands onto the streets.Wangchuk's fast and the students' protest have become one of the most visible challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in recent years, triggering a major political row. On Tuesday, several opposition leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest outside Mr Modi's residence. Videos showing police dragging Mr Gandhi away sparked widespread outrage.Modi himself has not commented or engaged with the protesters, but on Thursday morning, he posted a statement on X that is being seen as an attempt to reach out to students."Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth," he wrote."We have decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks... This continues our series of steps for safeguarding the interests of students... Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared."Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook.