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

BBC:

Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on 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 site on Saturday and taken to hospital 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 police personnel injured.

The violence has stirred public anger and galvanised India’s opposition, posing a challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Modi has not commented directly on the protests or engaged with the protesters, but on Thursday, he posted a statement on X that is being seen as an attempt to reach out to students who have been frustrated with repeated exam paper leaks.

“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.”

A CJP spokesperson, however, said the real questions to be addressed were why paper leaks happen and who benefits from it.

“You are applying medicine after an injury, but our struggle asks why the injury has to happen,” Ashutosh Ranka said in a video on X, indicating that the protesters would not back down until their demands were met.

While Wangchuk is not at the protest site any longer, many of the placards and posters have slogans about his fast and drawings of him.

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.