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On the 25th day of his fast, activist Sonam Wangchuk released a video from Medanta Hospital in Gurugram and said that he would end his fast today (Wednesday, July 22) if the government assures that no action will be taken against students who participated in Cockroach Janta Party’s ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on July 20.

“Greetings, friends. I am still alive. Today is the 25th day of my hunger strike. Over these 25 days, I have lost around 11 kg and have begun losing muscle mass, but I am doing fine….I want to salute all the students who conducted themselves with remarkable restraint. Despite being lathi-charged, they did not retaliate…. It deeply moved me. Seeing the brutal action against them, I decided to continue my hunger strike. Since then, many leaders have come to appeal to me to end my fast, including ministers from the ruling party… I, too, want to do that because my work is very important to me.” Wangchuk said in his video message.

“However, I request the government not to use force against students. Secondly, I seek an assurance that no allegations, FIRs, or legal action will be used to harass them through the police or the criminal justice system. If I receive that assurance soon, I will, out of respect for all of you and the leaders who have appealed to me, end my hunger strike today itself. But if no such assurance is given, then unfortunately I will have to continue my fast,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Wangchuk had written to Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh and made the same request.

In the letter, Wangchuk said that Nadda and Singh, had visited him at the Medanta Hospital on Tuesday night, and assured him that the government would positively consider providing adequate compensation to the families of students who died by suicide following the NEET paper ‘leak’.

They also promised to hold a meaningful discussion in Parliament to ensure accountability for exam ‘irregularities’, including considering the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the letter said.

“I respectfully request an unequivocal assurance from the government that none of the young protesters will face any punitive or retaliatory legal action for participating in this movement. Their only ‘offence’ has been to raise their voice for a fair and accountable education system”, Wangchuk had said.

Around 65 MPs from different political parties have written to him, while several met him personally and urged him to end his fast.

Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 after joining the Cockroach Janta Party-led agitation demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, reforms in the education system and the resignation of Pradhan.