Rohit Kumar
NEW DELHI, July 17: The health conditions of climate activist and educator, Sonam Wangchuk, whose indefinite fast demanding resignation of the union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on the issue of question paper leaks, entered the 20th day on Friday, has entered a critical stage due to his prolonged fast and the next phase could be alarming and his organs could get affected, doctors examining him, have warned.
Even as appeals came to him from different quarters to end his fast because his life was precious, the activist in his feeble voice on Friday asserted that he would “at any cost” stay alive at least till July 20 when thousands of people including students were expected to join the protest launched by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Addressing supporters at the protest site, Mr Wangchuk acknowledged his weakening physical condition but said his resolve remained unshaken.
The health of three All India Students’ Association (AISA) activists, who are also on an indefinite hunger strike with Mr Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar to protest alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, deteriorated further, with doctors advising one of them to be hospitalized immediately due to severe hypoglycaemia.
The student organization said the three activists have completed 20 days of hunger strike, even as the Center remained unresponsive to their demands. In a statement, AISA said one of their blood sugar levels has fallen to a critically low level, and doctors have advised her to end the fast and get admitted to the hospital before her condition worsens. They fasting leaders have also been advised by the doctors not to walk.
In a statement, the CJP said quoting his physician Satish Lamba that Mr Wangchuk lost 350 grams in weight in one day and was undergoing mild dehydration. Mr Wangchuk’s blood pressure stood at 108/68mmHg, blood sugar at 80mg/dL and had a pulse of 72bpm. He still remains “mentally alert,” Dr Lamba said.
Three students from the CPI(ML) Liberation’s All India Students’ Association, who are undergoing a concurrent hunger strike, have been advised to no longer walk, and will be using a wheelchair for the rest of their fast, former AISA president Sai Balaji said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court has agreed to hear on Monday a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against alleged “intrusive surveillance” by police on the CJP activists at Jantar Mantar. The plea by former JNU Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh has challenged the installation and operation of a permanent surveillance tower and systematic photography and videography of protesters by the Delhi Police.
At the Jantar Mantar, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) working president Supriya Sule met activist Sonam Wangchuk and urged him to call off his prolonged fast and asserted that the matter of NEET-UG students would be raised in the Monsoon Session of the parliament which starts on Monday. Speaking after the meeting, Ms Sule said the Opposition would carry its fight forward inside Parliament.
“We have come to request Sonam Wangchuk to give up the hunger strike. If there is a fight to be fought, we will all fight it in Parliament as well. The parliamentary session begins on Monday; we will raise all these issues, including the concerns of the NEET students,” Ms Sule said.
Former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar also met Sonam Wangchuk and requested him to preserve his health and life by ending his fast. In a statement, Mr Kumar said the lives of conscientious dissenters should be prized and not compromised, as he lauded Mr Wangchuk for having fought for public causes dear to him. “In any responsive and dignitarian democracy, the lives of conscientious dissenters should be prized and not compromised for any reason,” he said.
Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat said he hoped that the ongoing hunger strike by activist Sonam Wangchuk in New Delhi, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, would end soon. “The hunger strike has entered its 20th day. The court has also taken note of it. Our party’s stand is that this agitation should be stopped with a positive way out,” he said.
The PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the refusal of the elected government at the Center to engage with the protesting youths at Jantar Mantar indicated a colonial mindset. “The distressing scenes unfolding at Jantar Mantar, where Sonam Wangchuk is risking his life to safeguard the future of our Gen Z, evoke memories of the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters to liberate India from colonial rule. The British may have left, but the colonial mindset seems to endure,” Ms Mufti said in a post on X.
“How else can one explain the indifference of a democratically elected government that remains so callous that it refuses to engage with the youth at Jantar Mantar, the very generation that will shape India’s future?” Ms Mufti asked.
Meanwhile, the Congress, RJD and AAP leaders on Friday questioned actor Aamir Khan’s statement that his character in the film ‘3 Idiots’ was not based on education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, suggesting he was unwilling to take a stand out of fear of the ruling establishment.
RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha questioned the timing of Khan’s clarification. “How many years did it take him to say this? Until now, everyone knew that (Wangchuk’s life inspired a character in 3 Idiots). It shows that keeping one’s spine straight before those in power is not easy,” Mr Jha said.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also criticized the actor. “Whether it is Aamir Khan or anyone else, this Modi government has exposed everyone’s character. They have all bowed before it. They do not have the courage to speak,” Mr Singh said.
Congress leader Kumari Selja said Sonam Wangchuk’s 19-day hunger strike symbolizes the concerns of millions of students and youth over recurring paper leaks, flaws in the examination system and the lack of accountability. Ms Selja, a Congress MP from Sirsa, said repeated incidents of paper leaks and alleged failure to take effective action against those responsible have undermined the confidence of students in the examination system.
She said the government has a responsibility to ensure a fair and transparent examination process, as the trust of young people is a key pillar of any democratic system.
Another Congress leader Pawan Khera met Mr Wangchuk and urged him to end his fast in view of his deteriorating health. In a post on
“In a democracy, peaceful protest is a constitutional right. When citizens undertake a fast to be heard, the duty of the government is to listen — not look away. That is Raj Dharma,” Mr Khera said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut expressed concern over Mr Wangchuk’s deteriorating health amid his ongoing hunger strike, urging the High Court to take cognizance of the matter and alleging that the government was being “insensitive” to the issue.
Speaking to media in Nagpur, Mr Raut said, “The High Court should take cognizance. They should take responsibility for the NEET paper leak and seek the resignation of the minister concerned.” “It has now been 20 days of Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike. His condition is very serious, with the possibility of organ failure. Are these reports not reaching the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, or President Droupadi Murmu? They are being insensitive,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Sikkim University Students’ Association (SUSA) has extended its support to Mr Wangchuk. SUSA in a press statement voiced concern over Mr Wangchuk’s deteriorating health and said his peaceful protest had grown into a larger movement demanding accountability and transparency in public examinations.
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