Day 20 of Hunger Strike: Sonam Wangchuk Vows to Survive Until Monday's Parliament March
On the 20th day of his hunger strike, activist Sonam Wangchuk stated that he feels strong internally and intends to stay alive until Monday, when protesters plan to march to Parliament on the first day of the Monsoon Session.
Speaking to supporters on Friday morning, Wangchuk said, "I am weak from the outside but very strong inside. We need this energy for July 20, when we will take out a peaceful march to Parliament. We will go together and present our plea in the temple of democracy." He added, "I will stay alive until July 20 at any cost."
Among those who visited the protest site at Jantar Mantar were NCP (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule, Congress MP Pawan Khera, and former Union Minister Ashwani Kumar.
Wangchuk's personal physician, Dr. Satish Lamba, reported that the activist is losing weight and showing signs of mild dehydration but remains mentally alert with normal vital parameters.
Congress MP Pawan Khera expressed concern about Wangchuk's health and criticized the government, saying, "This is an apathetic government that does not understand the language of democratic protest."
The Congress party had earlier appealed to Wangchuk to end his fast, stating that they share his anguish and outrage over the NEET-UG paper leak. Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal said the party would continue to demand the Education Minister's resignation.
Wangchuk and the activist group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) are demanding that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan take responsibility for the NEET-UG question paper leak in May and resign from his post.
Supriya Sule stated that the opposition would raise the issue in Parliament, adding, "This issue is above politics, it is about our children. We shall remain united."
The CPI(M) expressed concern over Wangchuk's health and criticized the government for not engaging in dialogue with the protesters. In a statement, the party reiterated its demand for the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan and the scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
On Friday evening, the crowd size at Jantar Mantar remained similar to when the fast began. Among the attendees were YouTubers and students mobilized by the leftist students' organization AISA, who sang protest songs and raised slogans.
A 16-year-old student named Srishti said she skipped school to be at the protest. "There is corruption in this country, and the education system needs to be cleaned. I want the system to be fair and transparent; that is why I am here," she said.
Mohammad Aslam, a 72-year-old lemonade seller, has been visiting daily since the strike began.
Following a Delhi High Court directive, the Centre has designated Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital to monitor Wangchuk's health starting Saturday.
