CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya visited the indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on July 2 to express solidarity with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, six AISA activists and thirteen other students on hunger strike, and the broader student movement demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the repeal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and the scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
During his visit, Dipankar Bhattacharya met the hunger strikers and reiterated his unwavering support for their struggle. He presented posters of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and the Preamble to the Constitution of India to Sonam Wangchuk; the six AISA activists on hunger strike—Neha (AISA President), Danish (Joint Secretary, JNUSU), Manish (AISA Uttar Pradesh President), Deepak (AISA Delhi University Vice President), Hrishikesh (President, Barak Hostel, JNU), and Aameen (former Central Council Member, AUD Students' Council); CJP founder Abhijit Dipke; and other students and youth participating in the protest.
Addressing the gathering, Dipankar Bhattacharya said, "Today, the future of India's students and youth has been systematically undermined by the Modi government. Its anti-student and anti-youth policies have deepened unemployment, fuelled corruption, weakened public education, and denied equal opportunities. From repeated examination paper leaks to the commercialisation of education, the government has betrayed the aspirations of an entire generation. The demand for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is fully justified. This movement is not merely about one minister; it is a fight to defend education, democracy and the constitutional rights of India's youth."
On July 4, CPI(ML) Liberation MP Rajaram Singh also visited the hunger strikers in solidarity and addressed the gathering. "From the streets to Parliament, we are with you at every step of the way. May this struggle become a decisive turning point for our country," he said.
AISA Leader Hospitalised; Hunger Strike Continues with Unwavering Resolve
Meanwhile, one of the hunger strikers, Danish Ali, Joint Secretary of the JNUSU and an AISA leader, was hospitalised on July 4 after completing seven days of the indefinite hunger strike. Her blood sugar level dropped to a life-threatening 46 mg/dL, requiring emergency hospitalisation and intravenous fluids.
Despite mounting health concerns, more than twenty protesters continue their indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, declaring that they will not retreat until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns and their demands to scrap the NTA and repeal the NEP 2020 are met.
As the hunger strike enters another day, the protesters remain steadfast, asserting that they are fighting not merely against one minister or one policy, but for the future of public education, democratic rights, and the aspirations of India's students and youth.
