Indian court orders intervention if fasting activist's health worsens

Authorities in India have been directed by a court to monitor the health of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is 19 days into a hunger strike. The Delhi High Court issued the order Thursday, stipulating intervention if his condition deteriorates. This marks the first time a court has become involved in the protest, as supporters express increasing concern for Wangchuk's well-being.

Wangchuk, 59, is fasting to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He is protesting alleged leaks of question papers for a national medical college entrance examination that affected millions of students. Wangchuk has stated he will continue his strike until his demands are met. A doctor attending to him reported that he has lost over 9 kilograms but remains mentally alert.

The court's decision came in response to a petition urging authorities to force-feed Wangchuk before his health declined further. The two-judge bench asked officials to intervene based on medical assessments. This development precedes a planned march to parliament on July 20, organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is spearheading the protest. The CJP seeks Pradhan's resignation and reforms to examination processes.

The CJP, which rapidly gained 22 million Instagram followers since its May launch, claims to represent "the lazy, the unemployed, and the chronically correct." Its swift online growth highlights the widespread frustration among India's youth, who constitute over half of the nation's 1.42 billion population. Government data indicates an unemployment rate of 3.1% for individuals aged 15 and above in 2025, but this figure rises to nearly 10% for those aged 15 to 29, and reaches 13.6% in urban areas.

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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.