After activist Sonam Wangchuk was taken to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike on Saturday morning, the protest at Jantar Mantar showed no signs of ending on Jattvibeday as three student activists continued their fast.The organisers reaffirmed that the proposed July 20 march to Parliament would go ahead.The hunger strike entered its 22nd day with Neha, Ameen Amitoj and Manish Kumar, three associates from the All India Students’ Association (AISA), continuing their indefinite fast.Neha, AISA president, and a PhD scholar in theatre and performance studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), began the fast at 66 kg and has reportedly lost 7.5 kg.Ameen Amitoj, a PhD scholar in urban studies at Dr BR Ambedkar University, Delhi, who had also participated in the 2020 to 2021 farmers’ protest, started at 69.3 kg and has reportedly lost 9.3 kg.Manish Kumar, AISA’s Uttar Pradesh president and a PhD scholar in political science at Allahabad University, began the fast at 85.7 kg and has lost 10.4 kg, according to organisers.Doctors continued monitoring the three students and were expected to issue a fresh medical assessment as concern grew over their health after more than three weeks without food. Volunteers remained around the fasting students as supporters gathered at the protest site.The agitation gathered fresh momentum after Wangchuk was taken away from Jantar Mantar by Delhi Police on Saturday.Police said he was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital on expert medical advice and in compliance with directions of the Delhi High Court because of his deteriorating health. Officials said some protesters tried to obstruct the exercise, leading to a slight commotion, but maintained that the officers exercised maximum restraint and that there was no lathi charge or detention.Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, has maintained that he continues his hunger strike in hospital, consuming only salt water. She has questioned the decision to hospitalise him, saying the High Court had directed only that his health be monitored regularly.Neha, who completed 21 days of fasting on Saturday, alleged that police also tried to remove the remaining hunger strikers after Wangchuk was taken away.”Today is the 22nd day of our hunger strike,” she said. “Yesterday, at around 7.30 am, some people in plainclothes entered the stage area. Five to 10 minutes later, a heavy police deployment moved towards the stage, and Sonam Wangchuk, who was on the 21st day of his hunger strike, was forcibly removed from here in the name of providing him medical attention.””At around 9 am the same day, RAF and police personnel in uniform tried to break through the rope boundary around our AISA’s tent and enter the area. Their aim was to forcibly remove us from our chosen hunger strike, and unlawfully detain us, which they eventually tried. However, because there were many volunteers present, they were unable to detain us. Delhi Police’s attempt to forcibly end a democratic and peaceful protest is shameful,” she said.She added, “This government has turned completely blind by not noticing the students and Sonam Wangchuk, who have been sitting on hunger strike for over 21 days now. Meanwhile, administration is trying to assault our hunger strikers and admit us to the hospital against our wshes. I appeal to all of you to come to Jantar Mantar. This movement has not ended, and it will not end until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns. Please make sure this message reaches everyone.”Meanwhile, Cockroach Janta Party chief Abhijeet Dipke has entered the second day of his hunger strike. The CJP also alleged that electricity supply to the site had been cut, leaving the students exposed to the heat and humidity without fans.The CJP in a statement said, “Delhi Police are planning to crack down on our protest during night or early hours of morning, silencing the voice of youth.” It appealed to citizens to join a night vigil at Jantar Mantar and said the July 20 Parliament march would proceed as planned.Dipke also posted on X alleging that authorities were preparing for “a crackdown” and shared a video purportedly showing Rapid Action Force personnel deployed at Jantar Mantar.Speaking to The Tribune, CJP spokesperson Vijeta Dhaiya said, “We are scared right now. Scared for what has happened yesterday with Sonam Wangchuk, could get repeated with Abhijeet Dipke, the forcible, unlawful removal from the protest. It was tried again with students here from AISA, soon after Wangchuk was taken forcibly to hospital. In any case, we want to continue protest and are not going to leave our ground.”The protest also received support from the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association, which criticised the alleged police action. The teachers’ body said, “The JNUTA strongly condemns the nefarious attempts to launch a brutal police crackdown on peaceful student and parent protesters at Jantar Mantar.”Calling the agitation part of a wider struggle over education, it added that “the battle for the future of Indian education can no longer be fought in isolated struggles”, while appealing to teachers across the country to join Monday’s Parliament march. At the same time, it urged those on an indefinite hunger strike to consider shifting to a more sustainable form of protest while continuing the movement.