Wangchuk hunger strike enters Day 6, CJP calls for nationwide solidarity fast

As educationist and activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar entered its sixth day on Friday, 3 July, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said the activist's health had deteriorated further and appealed to supporters across the country to observe a one-day fast in solidarity with the protest.

In a health update posted on X, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said Wangchuk's blood pressure was 110/75 mmHg, pulse rate 72 beats per minute and blood sugar level 61 mg/dL.

According to Dipke, Wangchuk appeared "far weaker and more exhausted" than in previous days, though the activist himself maintained that he was doing fine.

"It is Day 6 of Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike. Today, he looks far weaker and more exhausted than he did a few days ago. For the first time, I could see the pain on his face as his health continued to deteriorate. He told us he is fine and there is nothing to worry about, but the reality is different," Dipke said.

In a separate post, Dipke described Wangchuk as "a great educationist" risking his life for students and questioned the Centre's silence. "A great educationist is risking his own life to seek justice for students. When will the government wake up?" he wrote.

Dipke also urged supporters to participate in the movement by observing a one-day fast from their homes and sharing videos on social media. "Today is Day 6 of Sonam Wangchuk's fast, and our team is fasting with him in solidarity. We appeal to everyone to observe a one-day fast from their homes to support this movement and share a video on social media," he said.

The CJP launched the agitation on 20 June over alleged irregularities in the examination system, including NEET medical entrance exams.

Indeed, just as the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG examination appeared to have subsided following the successful conduct of the 21 June re-examination, fresh questions have emerged over errors in the Physics paper, as per a report in the New Indian Express.

As reported, one question contained no correct option and will be withdrawn by the National Testing Agency (NTA), with all candidates receiving four marks for it. Another question reportedly had two correct answers, both of which will be accepted during evaluation. The NTA and the Union education ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the issue.

Meanwhile, six students affiliated with the All India Students' Association (AISA) continued their indefinite hunger strike from a separate stage at the protest venue.

On Thursday, AISA said the health of the fasting students had also worsened. It said Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union joint secretary Danish's blood sugar had dropped to 50 mg/dL, while fellow protester Deepak Kumar Verma's reading fell to 59 mg/dL.

The organisation said Manish and Aameen each recorded blood sugar levels of 63 mg/dL, while Neha and Hrishikesh registered 68 mg/dL. Alleging that most of the students were at risk of losing consciousness, AISA said they would continue their fast until Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.

The broader protest entered its 14th day on Friday and has received support from several Opposition leaders and civil society figures over the past week, including CPI(M) general-secretary M.A. Baby, senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, CPI general-secretary D. Raja, CPI(ML) Liberation general-secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, social activist Yogendra Yadav, Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, CPI leader Annie Raja, transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj, RTI activist Nikhil Dey and TMC MP Sagarika Ghose.

Dipke has said the campaign will also raise broader accountability issues, including the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

With PTI inputs