Activist Sonam Wangchuk has made clear his hunger strike is not ending anytime soon. In an announcement made late Monday evening, he said he would keep fasting until youth leaders are allowed to meet Members of Parliament, a decision triggered by police action against protesters from the Cockroach Janata Party's "Sansad Chalo" march.
A handwritten note from the hospital bed
The update came through a handwritten statement issued from Safdarjung Hospital, where Wangchuk raised sharp concern over the police response to students protesting peacefully. He said the treatment meted out to demonstrators had left him with no option but to extend his fast. He expressed hope that the central government would fix accountability on the Education Minister and take the students' demands seriously. In the note, he wrote that "given the kind of brutality being used against the youths protesting peacefully," he had decided to continue his fast until youth leaders are permitted to meet parliamentarians inside Parliament House, or he himself is allowed to meet them at the hospital.
Appeal to let students face lawmakers
Wangchuk praised the protesting youths for staying calm and disciplined despite what he described as provocation. He appealed to the government and Delhi Police to give students a chance to present their case outside Parliament and interact directly with MPs, arguing that such a step would keep the entire movement peaceful.
Why he reversed course on ending the fast
Wangchuk had earlier indicated he might call off the strike if the government accepted responsibility for alleged shortcomings in the education system, or if political parties assured him the issue would be debated during Parliament's monsoon session. However, after the events that unfolded at the protest site, he reversed that position and announced the fast would continue.
Doctors describe condition as stable
Wangchuk remains under treatment at Safdarjung Hospital. Doctors describe his condition as stable for now, though his blood sugar levels are still below normal even as other blood parameters have shown improvement. Administering ORS and potassium syrup has helped ease his condition somewhat. A joint team of specialists from Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS is monitoring him around the clock. Physicians say continuous observation is essential to help him fully recover from dehydration and avoid further complications. The hospital is providing all necessary medical facilities, and the course of further treatment will depend on how his health progresses and what upcoming test reports show.
Fast began at Jantar Mantar on June 28
Wangchuk had been on hunger strike at Jantar Mantar since June 28. On Saturday, Delhi Police forcibly took him to Safdarjung Hospital and admitted him there.
