Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike in the Delhi protest has left him 11kg lighter, but he says he will continue unless students are protected.
Sonam Wangchuk’s fast at the Delhi protest has become a symbol of the widening student movement in India, with the activist saying he has lost 11kg but will keep going unless the government guarantees that students will not face force or retaliation. Wangchuk, a prominent face of the youth-led campaign in the capital, was moved to hospital after being forcibly removed from the protest site at Jantar Mantar, where he had been on hunger strike for 26 days.
In a video message recorded from his hospital bed, Wangchuk said several leaders, including ministers from the ruling party, had asked him to end the strike. He said he wanted to stop too, but only if he received an assurance that students would be protected. Medanta Hospital in Gurugram said he was admitted to the ICU, where doctors were treating him and that he was stable, oriented and within accepted vital signs. The hospital said treatment was being given with his informed consent.
The protest itself has not slowed. Thousands have continued to gather at the venue despite Monday’s clash with police, when a march toward parliament ended in violence and left scores of protesters and officers injured. Police said 60 protesters and 118 officers were hurt, while the campaign group put the number of injured demonstrators at 150. By Thursday, senior officials and medics said at least 300 people, most of them protesters, had been admitted to hospital.
That crackdown has pushed the Delhi protest into a larger political fight. Human Rights Watch said security forces used excessive force and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to investigate the response and allow peaceful demonstrations. BBC reporters saw police use batons and tear gas, and video footage captured the disorder. Police have arrested protesters, though most have now been released on bail.
“Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike in the Delhi protest has left him 11kg lighter, but he says he will continue unless students are protected.”
Modi has not directly addressed the protest, but he posted on X on Thursday saying the welfare and future of young people were the top priority. He said fast-track courts would be set up to ensure swift punishment for those involved in paper leaks. A spokesperson for the Cockroach Janta Party, however, said the deeper issue was why leaks keep happening and who benefits from them.
The dispute has also kept pressure on Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, whom students blame for repeated leaks in major public exams, including the medical entrance test. Protest leaders continue to demand his resignation, even though Wangchuk’s latest statement and an earlier letter to federal ministers did not mention that demand. Party founder Abhijeet Dipke said the protest at Jantar Mantar would continue until Pradhan stepped down.
Background to the Delhi protest matters here. The CJP is a satirical movement inspired by a remark from India’s chief justice earlier this year, and it has since grown into something far larger than a joke. Monday’s turnout showed it can pull tens of thousands into the streets, while the closure of 16 central Delhi metro stations has added another layer of frustration for people trying to reach the site. That is why Wangchuk’s fast now matters beyond one activist’s health: it has become a test of how far authorities will go, and how much pressure students and their supporters can keep building.
For Americans watching from afar, the lesson is plain: when young people believe their future is being handled unfairly, the backlash can spread fast, and governments that answer with force often deepen the crisis instead of ending it.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Sonam Wangchuk continuing his fast?
He says he will keep fasting unless the government guarantees that students will not face force or retaliation. He said he wants to stop only if students are protected.
What happened to Wangchuk at the protest site?
He was forcibly removed from the protest site at Jantar Mantar and then taken to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. The hospital said he was admitted to the ICU and was stable.
What sparked the Delhi protest?
The protest is tied to student anger over repeated exam paper leaks, including the medical entrance test. Protesters are pressing for accountability and action from the authorities.
What do protesters want from Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan?
Protest leaders continue to demand his resignation. The article says Wangchuk’s latest statement did not mention that demand, but the protest organizers still insist on it.
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