NEW DELHI: The Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest seeking Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination drew fresh support on Wednesday, with comedian Kunal Kamra and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad joining demonstrators at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.Kamra attended the protest wearing a T-shirt featuring Mahatma Gandhi, while Azad met education reformer and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has now been on an indefinite hunger strike for 18 days. The CJP-led agitation itself has continued for 25 days.Welcoming Azad’s participation, CJP founder Abhijit Dipke said, “A big thank you to Bhim Army Chief sir for joining CJP’s protest today and extending his support to our movement. Your presence has lifted the spirits of the students who have been protesting for the past 25 days.”CJP has called for a mass hunger strike on Thursday. “Tomorrow, July 16th, join us for 1-day mass hunger strike in solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk and the students of this country,” it said.
Tharoor extends support
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also expressed support for the students’ agitation, publishing an open letter addressed to the protesters at Jantar Mantar in which he described himself as “deeply troubled” by the challenges facing young Indians. Recalling his own middle-class upbringing, Tharoor said his education had depended on a fair and merit-based examination system. “This is personal for me. I was born to a middle-class family… For a family like ours, merit was not a slogan. Scholarships, fair examinations, honest results — these were the only way one salary could carry three children’s dreams,” he wrote.
Film personalities appeal to Wangchuk
As Wangchuk’s fast entered its third week, several members of the film fraternity appealed to him to end the hunger strike, saying his health was vital for the movement.Veteran actor Shabana Azmi shared a message on Instagram, urging Wangchuk to prioritise his health while continuing his campaign for justice.“Our country needs people like you. You have stood up against injustice and stood firmly for the truth. We are proud of you. We earnestly request you to end your fast because your guidance inspires and strengthens our students. This is a long struggle, and it is important that you remain healthy so you can continue to lead it. We stand with you,” she wrote.Actor Soni Razdan also appealed to Wangchuk to call off the fast, posting, “Dear Sonam Wangchuk, For your health we all do pray. Please do not leave us in this way. Please live to fight another day. Please stay. Please end your fast today. We need you. Don’t leave us.”Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap criticised the government’s response to the protest, describing Wangchuk as a “braveheart”.“There was a time when hunger strike had some meaning. People don’t go on hunger strike just like that. It’s really troubling when the system becomes so indifferent to people’s lives. Only a man as empathetic and a believer of truth and justice has the courage to do that.“I don’t have the courage to do what Sonam Wangchuk is doing. But the silence from the powers to be is deafening to the point that it is a proof of their guilt and their murderous intent. I stand with the braveheart that Sonom Wangchuk is,” he wrote on Instagram Stories.The appeals come a day after veteran actor Zeenat Aman urged the government to begin a dialogue with Wangchuk, saying India should not “sit back and watch one of its greatest minds be sacrificed”. Actor Omi Vaidya had also called attention to Wangchuk’s deteriorating health.
Health remains under close watch
According to the latest medical updates on Wangchuk’s health, issued by the CJP, he “very weak” and is under round-the-clock medical observation.The bulletin said his weight has fallen to 57.15 kg, down 400 grams in the last 24 hours, taking his total weight loss since the hunger strike began to 8.9 kg. His blood pressure was recorded at 105/76, blood sugar at 80 mg/dL, oxygen saturation at 97%, while doctors described his hydration levels as fair.Medical teams said Wangchuk remains conscious and mentally alert but requires continuous monitoring as his indefinite fast continues.