Sonam Wangchuk loses muscle mass on Day 17 of hunger strike; Mahua Moitra, Arundhati Roy urge him to end fast

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's health has deteriorated further on the 17th day of his indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday 14 July, according to Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Dipke said Wangchuk has begun losing muscle mass and is experiencing ‘immense pain’ as his fast continues. "Day 17 of Sonam Sir's Hunger-Strike. He has started losing muscle mass and is in immense pain. Like everyone else, I begged him to end his fast," Dipke wrote.

However, Wangchuk refused to call off the hunger strike and instead questioned the Centre's unwillingness to engage in talks. Dipke quoted Wangchuk as saying: "Don't ask me to end my fast. Ask the govt why they won't even have a dialogue."

The latest update comes amid growing concern over Wangchuk's deteriorating health as he continues his indefinite fast. Supporters have repeatedly appealed to the government to initiate talks with the activist, who has maintained that dialogue is essential to address the issues he has raised.

Earlier, Dipke had warned that Wangchuk's condition was worsening, saying the activist had lost significant weight and was showing signs of severe physical weakness as the hunger strike progressed.

Wangchuk, 59, has lost 8.25 kg, his blood sugar levels have repeatedly fallen below 70 mg/dL (normal fasting levels are around 100 mg/dL), and he is experiencing constant dizziness, severe muscle loss and visible weakness, with his rib cage now clearly visible, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said on Monday.

The latest health update of Wangchuk comes a day after a group of eminent citizens, including writer Arundhati Roy, actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, and economist Jayati Ghosh, appealed to protesters on indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar to call off their fast, while extending full support to their demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

Arundhati Roy, Mahua Moitra, urge him to end fast

In a joint statement, the signatories said they were "immensely grateful" to the protesters for leading the agitation against the government but expressed deep concern over their worsening health.

"We salute your sense of purpose, the determination and courage with which you are spearheading this movement for students and youth across the country," the statement said.

The signatories said they feared that the government's alleged failure to respond to the demands could further jeopardise the health of those on hunger strike.

"We worry that their negligence in responding to your demands will only worsen the already fragile state of health that many of you are in," they said.

The appeal came on the 24th day of the Cockroach Janta Party's protest at Jantar Mantar and the 16th day of Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike.

TMC leader Mahua Moitra also urged Sonam to end fast. “Sonam sir, your fast has united this country’s youth in their war for justice. Your goal is reached. Govt doesn’t care about your life or that of crores of youth. But your life matters to us. Pls call off fast & continue the fight,” the TMC MP wrote in a post.

AISA activist Deepak, who was also on a hunger strike since June 28, was admitted to the RML Hospital on Monday after his health deteriorated.

The statement also appealed to the people of Delhi to participate in the CJP's proposed march to Parliament on July 20, coinciding with the commencement of the monsoon session of Parliament.

Besides Roy, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah and Jayati Ghosh, the statement was signed by academics Anuradha Chenoy, Nivedita Menon, Tanika Sarkar and Aditya Nigam, filmmaker Sanjay Kak, activist Lalita Ramdas, Kavita Srivastava, feminist Madhu Bhushan and cultural practitioner Arundhati Ghosh.

The CJP has been holding a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on an indefinite fast since then.

(With agency inputs)