A court directed authorities to monitor the health of an activist who is on the 19th day of a hunger strike on a stage in central Delhi to demand the education minister quits, and to intervene if his condition deteriorates.
It is the first time that a court has intervened in the protest, as concern over Sonam Wangchuk’s condition grows among his supporters. Yesterday’s instruction means he could be moved to a hospital if his health worsens.
Wangchuk has been fasting in solidarity with India’s youth Cockroach Janta Party, which is staging a sit-in demanding minister Dharmendra Pradhan step down over exam paper leaks that affected millions of students.
The 59-year-old, who has said he will continue his strike until their demands are met, has lost more than 9kg since he began his fast but remains mentally alert, a doctor attending to him told news agency ANI.
With the hunger strike in its third week, organisers are racing to keep pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which they accuse of ignoring their calls for the education minister’s resignation.
“There has been no kind of response from the government. They have left Sonam Wangchuk to die,” said Abhijeet Dipke, a Boston University student and founder of the Cockroach Janta Party.
Acting on a petition for authorities to force-feed Wangchuk before his condition worsens, a two-judge bench of the Delhi High Court asked officials to intervene depending on medical opinion.
The court order comes days ahead of a march to parliament called by the CJP on July 20 from the venue of the hunger strike to press for Pradhan’s resignation and exam reforms. — Reuters/AP
