Sonam Wangchuk, an influential Indian education reform advocate, is in a state of “extremely critical” health and receiving continuous medical care as his hunger strike reaches its 18th day, according to India Today on Wednesday.
He has been fasting in central Delhi since June 28 in support of the founder of India’s Youth Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who is staging a sit-in demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over May’s leak scandal that impacted millions of students — a rare act of rebellion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Since beginning his fast, Wangchuk has lost over eight kilograms. The CJP announced a one-day hunger strike on July 16 to show solidarity with Wangchuk, who is protesting against exam irregularities and NEET paper leaks.
The party posted on X: “Join us tomorrow, July 16, for a one-day mass hunger strike in support of Sonam Wangchuk and India’s students.”
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke stated that Wangchuk has been losing muscle mass and is suffering severe pain. Several prominent opposition figures also urged Wangchuk to end his hunger strike. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav shared on X: “His life is invaluable to the whole world because he reflects a deep commitment to humanity and the environment, as well as democracy.”
Earlier today, a petition was filed in Delhi High Court seeking forced feeding for Wangchuk and urging his transfer to a government hospital. The plea argued that his health has deteriorated significantly and that he could die within two days if the fasting continues. It called for immediate intervention, including hospital transfer and possible administration of a medically supervised liquid diet containing vital nutrients to prevent further decline— even if against his wishes, to save his life.
CJP describes itself as representing “the lazy, the unemployed, and the chronically correct.” Its rapid rise online signals the frustration of many young Indians, who comprise over half of the country’s 1.42 billion population.
In 2025, India’s overall unemployment rate was 3.1% for those 15 and older, but nearly 10% among 15 to 29-year-olds, rising to 13.6% in urban areas. Youth discontent also grew over the repeated paper leaks, which caused the cancellation of a medical college entrance exam attended by 2.3 million candidates. The exam was eventually held last month.