CJP protest: Sonam Wangchuk's health worsens as hunger strike enters Day 15
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Photo: IANS
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's health condition reportedly worsened on Sunday as his indefinite hunger strike over alleged examination irregularities entered its 15th day, with doctors recording a further drop in his blood pressure and significant weight loss.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar for 23 days, said Wangchuk had lost 7.8 kg since beginning his fast and that his blood pressure had fallen to 104/66 mm Hg.
According to the organisation, several political leaders and public intellectuals were expected to visit the protest site in support of the agitation. Former Kerala ministers K. K. Shylaja, K. N. Balagopal and P. Rajeev were scheduled to interact with the protesters, while Samajwadi Party MP Pushpendra Saroj was expected to address the gathering, The New Indian Express reported.
The day's events were also set to include a public lecture by economist Jayati Ghosh on "The Economics of Unemployment," focusing on the employment crisis and its impact on young people, the organisation said.
At the protest site, members of the CPI(ML) Liberation-affiliated All India Students' Association (AISA) — Neha, Manish, Deepak Kumar Verma and Aameen — continued their own indefinite hunger strike in support of the agitation.
On Saturday, Wangchuk appealed to people not to look for heroes in others, describing himself as an ordinary citizen rather than a hero or a modern-day Mahatma Gandhi. He urged people to take responsibility as citizens instead of relying on individuals to bring about change.
In a video shared on X, Wangchuk also called on people to participate in the proposed march to Parliament on July 20, urging citizens to press Members of Parliament to address the issue of alleged examination irregularities.
The CJP is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide in connection with examination irregularities.
The organisation has announced that a peaceful march to Parliament will be held on July 20, coinciding with the start of the Monsoon Session.
The protest began on June 20, while Wangchuk joined the demonstration on June 28 and has remained on an indefinite hunger strike since then.