Educationist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk undertakes an indefinite hunger strike as Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, foreground, talks during a protest demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities and repeated paper leaks in New Delhi, India, on July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)Activist Sonam Wangchuk has lost more than 9 kg on the 19th day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, his doctor said on Thursday, even as the award-winning educator and innovator ruled out ending the fast and urged supporters to join a planned march to Parliament on July 20 instead.Dr Satish Lamba, a senior general physician monitoring Wangchuk’s health, said his blood sugar stood at 80 mg/dL, pulse rate at 72 beats per minute, and blood pressure at 105/61 mmHg lying down and 101/65 mmHg while sitting. Lamba said Wangchuk’s hydration was fair and that he remained mentally alert.‘Don’t ask me to break fast’Wangchuk has ruled out ending his strike despite appeals from political leaders and supporters, saying breaking the fast without any response from the government would send the wrong message. “If I eat, what message will go? The message to the government will be that there is no need for accountability,” he said, questioning what would change if he ended the fast.VIDEO | Delhi: Dr. Satish Lamba, Senior General Physician, gives update on health of Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar since 19 days.He says, “Today, on the 19th day, I am presenting Sonam Wangchuk’s health bulletin. First, I will discuss the… pic.twitter.com/HXSrcv48VZ— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 16, 2026In a video message shared late on Wednesday night, on the 18th day of his fast, Wangchuk said he had received thousands of messages urging him to break his strike and that several senior politicians had met him with “love and concern.” He said some had even approached the courts seeking directions to make him eat.Seeking to allay concerns over his health, Wangchuk said medical tests, including an ECG, had returned largely normal results for an 18-day fast and that his condition was not life-threatening in the immediate term. “There is weakness and my muscles are getting weak, but my heart and core are still fine,” he said.‘Join our march on Monday’Instead of appeals to end the fast, Wangchuk urged people to join the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) proposed “Chalo Sansad” march on July 20, calling on schools, colleges and universities to treat the day as one of experiential education under the National Education Policy. He appealed to supporters to register for the march through the campaign’s website or a missed-call initiative.The CJP has been protesting at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, and has called for the Parliament march on July 20, the opening day of the Monsoon session.(With inputs from PTI)