New Delhi: Educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has lost 8.2 kg since launching his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, with medical reports indicating a critical drop in his blood glucose level to 67 mg/dL on Monday. Entering its 16th day, the hunger strike has taken a severe toll on the activist’s body, as doctors recorded his blood pressure at a low 107/70 mm Hg. The broader agitation, organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to protest widespread irregularities in national examinations, officially marked its 24th consecutive day. Expressing deep concern over the deteriorating medical conditions, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke publicly appealed to the central government via social media, urging leaders to put aside administrative egos and address the core grievances of the students before lives are lost.
The protest site witnessed a surge in political and social mobilization on Monday as multiple high-profile delegations arrived to voice their solidarity. A representative group from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, visited the demonstration venue to demand a transparent, fair, and credible examination system alongside the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Similarly, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Member of Parliament Amra Ram, accompanied by senior party leaders from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, met with the demonstrators to endorse their ongoing demands. Concurrently, student leaders from the All India Students’ Association (AISA)—including Neha, Manish, Deepak, and Aameen—remained on their own separate indefinite hunger strike at the venue, enduring weeks without food to demand institutional accountability.
The core demands of the CJP-led movement include the formal resignation of the Union Education Minister and a financial compensation package of Rs 1 crore for the families of students who tragically died by suicide following recent examination controversies. Visiting leaders and student groups heavily criticized the lack of a positive government intervention despite weeks of peaceful public fasting. As the health of the striking individuals continues to decline, the organizers have solidified their plans for a massive, peaceful march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament on July 20, strategically timed to coincide with the opening day of the Monsoon Session.
