Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike enters Day 4 as CJP protest intensifies

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)'s protest at Jantar Mantar entered its 12th day on Wednesday, with activist Sonam Wangchuk continuing his hunger strike for the fourth consecutive day and student protesters reporting deteriorating health as the agitation gathered momentum.

Sharing a health update, Wangchuk said he was feeling "fine" despite slight fatigue, adding that doctors had advised him to increase his intake of water and salt after his blood pressure was found to be low.

"My sugar level is low at 66, but that's because of no food for three days. As ketosis takes over, the body starts consuming fats. In a prolonged fast, it may consume muscles and organs, resulting in death, but I'm nowhere near that," Wangchuk said.

He said he had lost around two kilograms since beginning the fast, noting that a daily weight loss of nearly 650 grams was normal during prolonged fasting.

Drawing attention to the larger cause behind the protest, Wangchuk said his personal discomfort was insignificant compared to the sacrifices made by others.

"My inconveniences are nothing compared to the 20-plus students who gave their lives and the five youths who died in Ladakh last September," he said, thanking supporters for standing by the movement.

Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said Inesh, a student who had been on an indefinite hunger strike for eight days before being hospitalised on Tuesday night after his condition deteriorated, was recovering.

"Inesh is recovering well at the hospital. Our team is in touch with him and monitoring the situation," Dipke said in a post on X.

Stepping up his criticism of the Centre, Dipke said the movement had emerged from growing public anger over alleged paper leaks, student suicides and a lack of accountability.

"What it takes today to seek accountability: Countless paper leaks, millions of dreams shattered, 20-plus student suicides, a hunger strike by an educationist and the youth," he wrote on X, alleging that India had never witnessed such an "arrogant" government.

The All India Students' Association (AISA) also expressed concern over the health of students participating in the indefinite fast, saying several had been advised by doctors to discontinue the protest.

According to the organisation, JNUSU joint secretary Danish's blood sugar level had fallen to 61 mg/dL, with doctors warning that continuing the fast could have serious consequences.

AISA further claimed that Aameen and Deepak had also been asked to end their fast, alleging that Aameen's blood pressure had reached critical levels while Deepak's blood sugar had dropped to 70 mg/dL.

The student body renewed its demand for the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, accusing the government of ignoring students' concerns over alleged irregularities in the examination system.

The CJP launched its protest on 20 June, initially focusing on alleged irregularities in examinations, including NEET, before expanding its campaign to broader issues of public accountability, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

With PTI inputs