Environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk on the 18th day of his indefinite hunger strike in support of the CJP campaign, seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leak. (ANI)The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed that activist Sonam Wangchuk’s health be clinically monitored by government doctors daily, and that “whatever medical intervention is required to check his deteriorating health condition shall also be taken care of,” depending on the doctors’ opinion. A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia disposed of a public interest litigation petition after hearing the petitioner in person and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Centre and the Delhi government.
The court noted the Solicitor General’s assurance that Wangchuk’s condition would be regularly monitored by government doctors and public health experts, and that any medical intervention needed would be carried out based on their opinion. “The life of any citizen is precious and all efforts ought to be made by the government authorities to save the same,” the bench observed, while appreciating the government’s stance. During the hearing, the bench asked Mehta whether a mechanism was in place to track Wangchuk’s health; Mehta said daily check-ups were being conducted and that reports were available when Wangchuk permitted government doctors to examine him, though private doctors sometimes attended to him as well. The bench said it was not concerned with private doctors and asked that Wangchuk be regularly examined by government doctors, with immediate medical attention if required.
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Wangchuk has lost over 9 kg in 19 days
Wangchuk has lost more than 9 kg on the 19th day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, his doctor said on Thursday. Dr Satish Lamba, the senior general physician monitoring his health, said Wangchuk’s blood sugar stood at 80 mg/dL, pulse rate at 72 beats per minute, and blood pressure at 105/61 mmHg lying down and 101/65 mmHg while sitting. Lamba said his hydration was fair and that he remained mentally alert.
Wangchuk is fronting the protest by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over a string of exam paper leaks and student suicides. After initially calling the protest “anti-national,” the government has stonewalled it in the face of mounting criticism.
The PIL seeking Wangchuk’s force-feeding, filed by a lawyer in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, had claimed he could “lose his life in two days.” It was originally due to be heard Wednesday but was posted for Thursday because of a lawyers’ strike.
Wangchuk has ruled out ending his strike despite appeals from political leaders and supporters, saying breaking the fast without any response from the government would send the wrong message. “If I eat, what message will go? The message to the government will be that there is no need for accountability,” he said, questioning what would change if he ended the fast.
‘Don’t ask me to give up’
In a video message shared late on Wednesday night, on the 18th day of his fast, Wangchuk said he had received thousands of messages urging him to break his strike and that several senior politicians had met him with “love and concern.” He said some had even approached the courts seeking directions to make him eat. Seeking to address concerns over his health, he said medical tests, including an ECG, had returned largely normal results for an 18-day fast and that his condition was not life-threatening in the immediate term. “There is weakness and my muscles are getting weak, but my heart and core are still fine,” he said.
Instead of appeals to end the fast, Wangchuk urged people to join the CJP’s proposed “Chalo Sansad” march on July 20, calling on schools, colleges and universities to treat the day as one of experiential education under the National Education Policy. He appealed to supporters to register for the march through the campaign’s website or a missed-call initiative.
A team of four to five doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, accompanied by Dr Lamba, visits Wangchuk at least twice a day to monitor his blood pressure, blood sugar, weight and other vital parameters. Lamba, a family physician and medical superintendent at a private hospital in Green Park, told The Indian Express that Wangchuk’s uric acid levels are rising as his body begins breaking down muscle tissue for energy, and that ketones have been detected in his urine — a sign the body has moved from burning stored carbohydrates to fat. He said Wangchuk’s kidneys were functioning normally so far, but a prolonged fast could eventually cause kidney damage.
On the question of force-feeding, Lamba said consent would be required first, and that if medical intervention became unavoidable, intravenous support — delivering a dextrose and saline solution with electrolytes — would be the safer option over tube feeding, which carries risks such as food entering the windpipe or a sudden insulin spike.
The CJP has been protesting at Jantar Mantar for 20 days, demanding Pradhan’s resignation over question paper leaks and irregularities in key national examinations like the NEET, and has called for the Parliament march on July 20, the opening day of the Monsoon session. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said on X that when Wangchuk was urged to call off his strike, he replied: “Instead of asking me to end my hunger strike, ask the government why it refuses to listen.”
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