'Sonam Wangchuk could die in 2 days': Plea in Delhi HC seeks force-feeding of activist

A petition has sought urgent intervention from the Delhi High Court to ensure medical aid for Sonam Wangchuk and end his indefinite hunger strike through force-feeding, as the activist appeared frail after 17 days without food. Wangchuk, the engineer and education reformer from Ladakh who inspired Aamir Khan's character Phunsukh Wangdu in '3 Idiots', has been fasting at Jantar Mantar as part of a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party, which is seeking Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET-UG paper leak case.

The public interest litigation, filed by activist and lawyer Rakesh Kumar Saini, has asked the court to direct the Centre and the Delhi government to move Wangchuk to a hospital and provide him nutrition through a liquid diet. According to Bar and Bench, the plea said that if Wangchuk continued his hunger strike, he could lose his life within two days. It also said his death would be a matter of "great shame for the country and the world". The petition said Wangchuk's health parameters had worsened and argued that immediate medical intervention was necessary.

"The simple thing to be done is to take him to a hospital and force feed him the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals by way of a liquid diet which are necessary for the human body to survive," the PIL said. It also alleged that the government was treating Wangchuk like a "hardcore criminal", "terrorist" or "traitor to the nation", and said it had so far remained silent on his fast.

According to his latest health update, Wangchuk has lost about 8.5 kg and his blood pressure has dropped to 109/70. A health bulletin released on Monday said he "has lost 8.25 kg", that his blood sugar levels had repeatedly fallen below 70 mg/dL, and that he was experiencing constant dizziness, severe muscle loss and visible weakness, with his rib cage clearly visible.

"Despite his condition, the Union government has not sent a single representative to initiate a dialogue," the protesters said. Wangchuk told reporters on Monday, "I'm weak from the outside, but I'm strong from inside."

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijit Dipke has remained by Wangchuk's side and said repeated appeals to end the fast had not worked. "Whenever he tries to sit or stand, he feels very dizzy. He is finding it difficult to even walk to the washroom. He is really struggling and in a lot of pain," Dipke told the BBC. The online satirical movement, started by Dipke a few months ago, is also seeking educational reforms and compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide after paper leaks.

The group says Pradhan must take moral responsibility for the NEET paper leak and quit, but he has refused. In an interview with NDTV, he dismissed the CJP and its supporters as "the B-team of disruptive elements" who "do not have faith in the country's progress". The CJP has also announced a march to Parliament on July 20, the first day of the Monsoon session.

Wangchuk has received support from academics, opposition leaders and members of the film industry. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and DMK MP Kanimozhi are among those who have appealed to him to end his fast, while Thackeray also backed the planned march.

In a video message shared last week on X, Wangchuk said he was not a "modern Gandhi" or a "hero" and asked people to support the protest by taking responsibility themselves. "Many people call me the Gandhi of the 21st century or a modern Gandhi. Others call me a hero... I am just an ordinary citizen who has tried to fulfil his responsibilities," he said.

Last year, Wangchuk was arrested in October after the government accused him of inciting protests in Ladakh, which he denied. He spent 170 days in prison before the charges were dropped and he was released. The plea is now awaiting hearing in the Delhi High Court.