New Delhi, Jul 17 : Educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Friday asserted that he would "stay alive till July 20 at any cost", even as his indefinite hunger strike entered its 20th day amid a warning from doctors that his prolonged fast has reached a critical stage. As the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) agitation at Jantar Mantar against alleged examination irregularities entered its 28th day on Friday, Congress leader Pawan Khera became the latest political leader to visit Wangchuk and other protesters to express his solidarity.

Addressing supporters at the protest site, Wangchuk acknowledged his weakening physical condition but said his resolve remained unshaken. "I am weak from the outside but very strong inside. I am sure all of you are strong from the inside, and outside too. We need this energy for July 20, when we will take out a peaceful march to Parliament. We will go together and present our plea in the temple of democracy," he said. "I will stay alive till July 20 at any cost. If you don't come and July 20 is not successful, I will come back as a ghost," he said in a lighter vein, drawing cheers from the gathering.

Wangchuk lost another 350 grams over the last 24 hours, taking his cumulative weight loss to about 9.5 kg.  According to the health bulletin issued by the medical team attending to him, Wangchuk now weighs 56.55 kg. His blood pressure was recorded at 108/68 mm Hg, blood sugar at 80 mg/dL, pulse rate at 72 beats per minute and oxygen saturation at 96 per cent. Doctors said he showed signs of mild dehydration but remained mentally alert.

On Thursday, doctors had warned that his condition had entered a critical stage due to the prolonged fast and that the next phase could be alarming, with the possibility of organ damage if the hunger strike continued. Wangchuk, however, had refused to call off the fast, saying that ending it without any response from the government would send a wrong message. He maintained that the focus should now be on making the July 20 Parliament march a success. The issue has also reached the Delhi High Court, which directed authorities to monitor Wangchuk's health daily and provide medical assistance if his condition deteriorates.

The health of others on hunger strike has deteriorated as well. The CPI(ML) Liberation-affiliated All India Students' Association (AISA) said the condition of its activists Neha, Manish and Aameen, who have also been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, had reached "severe stages". According to the organisation, Aameen is at risk of hypovolemic shock due to dehydration, Neha's blood sugar level has dropped to a dangerous 49 mg/dL and Manish has lost more than 10 per cent of his body weight. AISA said the three students would continue the fast in solidarity with Wangchuk despite their worsening condition. Political support for the CJP's agitation continued to grow, with Congress leader Pawan Khera visiting Wangchuk and other protesters at Jantar Mantar on Friday. 

Khera's visit came a day after Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav met the hunger strikers and urged the Centre to initiate dialogue, and after Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav reached out to express concern over Wangchuk's health and extend support to the proposed Parliament march.

Over the last week, the agitation has also drawn support from actor Prakash Raj; former Delhi chief minister Atishi; TMC MPs Mahua Moitra and Sagarika Ghose; CPI(M) MP Amra Ram; veteran CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali; former Kerala ministers K K Shailaja, Thomas Isaac, K N Balagopal and P Rajeev; Tripura Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury; Samajwadi Party MPs Pushpendra Saroj and Priya Saroj; Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant; NCP MLA Rohit Pawar; and Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Gurnam Singh Charuni. 

A group of eminent citizens, including writer Arundhati Roy, actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, economist Jayati Ghosh and several academics, have also backed the protesters' demands while appealing to Wangchuk to end his fast. The CJP has been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide over alleged examination irregularities. The outfit has called for a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, coinciding with the opening day of the monsoon Session. The CJP protest began on June 20, while Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has remained on an indefinite hunger strike ever since.

/Agencies