‘Lost 9 kg in 17 days’: Sonam Wangchuk currently stable, but next few days could prove critical, say doctors

5 min readNew DelhiJul 16, 2026 01:32 AM IST

By Wednesday evening, doctors had conducted an ECG on Wangchuk to assess the rhythm of his heart.  “We will get a more detailed report tomorrow,” says Dr Lamba. Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal

Most of activist Sonam Wangchuk’s days are now spent lying on the corner of a raised platform at Jantar Mantar, where supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) have been protesting for the last 20 days, demanding the removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for 18 of those 20 days, surviving only on water and salt. Doctors say he remains stable, but the next few days could prove critical.

At least twice every day, a team of four to five doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital visits Wangchuk. They are accompanied by Dr Satish Lamba, who was the secretary of the Delhi Medical Association until this March. They monitor his blood pressure, blood sugar, weight and other vital parameters.

“As of now, he is stable,” Dr Lamba told The Indian Express. “But he has lost around 9 kg over the last 17 days. Since yesterday alone, he has lost another 400 gm and now weighs about 57.15 kg.”

Dr Lamba said that the only silver lining is that even at the age of 59, Wangchuk does not have any underlying health conditions, including hypertension and diabetes.

Apart from visiting Wangchuk twice a day, Dr Lamba – a family physician and currently the medical superintendent at a private hospital in Green Park – is constantly in touch with CJP’s core members.

While Wangchuk’s blood pressure on Wednesday was 110/70 mmHg and his blood sugar measured 80 mg/dL, doctors said the prolonged fast is beginning to take a toll.

“He is currently stable, but we are keeping him under strict surveillance. It can become critical as it’s important to take glucose to survive. Some days ago, his blood sugar levels had dropped to 60 mg/dL, but now it’s in the normal range of 80 mg/dL. BP is also in line,” said Dr Lamba.

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He added that uric acid, which breaks down muscle tissues, is increasing in Wangchuk’s body, which means that he will soon start losing muscle if the fast continues.

“When you don’t eat, the body first uses stored carbohydrates and then burns fat, producing ketones. Ketones have been detected in his urine sample, which is an alarming sign. His body will also face muscle loss as it will begin breaking down muscle tissue for energy. Further, lack of fluids will cause electrolyte imbalance, which could further speed up muscle loss.”

Dr Lamba said the process was similar to a bike running low on fuel. “When the fuel tank dries up, bike starts to use the reserves. In humans, the carbohydrate is the fuel and the muscle and fat are the reserves.”

Doctors are also closely watching Wangchuk’s kidney function. “So far, his kidneys are functioning normally. But a prolonged hunger strike can eventually lead to kidney damage,” Dr Lamba said.

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On Wednesday, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Delhi High Court by a lawyer, Rakesh Saini, seeking that Wangchuk be force-fed. The PIL, which was due to be heard on Wednesday by Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, has now been posted for Thursday owing to a strike by lawyers.

According to the PIL, Sonam might “lose his life in two days”, as he continues to lose weight. It sought that Wangchuk be shifted to a government hospital immediately, as his death would be a “matter of great shame for the country and the world”.

As per norms, a person cannot be force-fed unless found unstable – incapable of making an informed decision. While tube feeding carries risks such as aspiration, Dr Lamba said intravenous support would be the safer option if medical intervention became unavoidable.

Though there are certain complications that could arise from force feeding through a pipe – like food going into wind pipes and a sudden spike in insulin – Dr Lamba said that in case the situation arises, a safer option is preferred.

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“First we would need his consent. But in case you force feed someone, it’s usually through intravenous drips, which seeps in a dextrose (sugar) and saline (salt) solution with essential electrolytes inside the body in a controlled manner, which does not carry any such risks.”

Wrapped in a white sheet on a mattress, Wangchuk gets up from the protest stage a couple of times a day with the help of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and other volunteers. He also briefly interacts with the media, mostly while lying on the mattress.

For now, there is little indication that he intends to end the fast. On X, Dipke said that when Wangchuk was urged to call off his hunger strike, he replied: “Instead of asking me to end my hunger strike, ask the government why it refuses to listen.”

By Wednesday evening, doctors had conducted an ECG on Wangchuk to assess the rhythm of his heart.  “We will get a more detailed report tomorrow,” says Dr Lamba.