Support for Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike widened on Thursday, with Bollywood figures, musicians and social media creators using their platforms to press the government for dialogue as the activist’s health deteriorated on the 19th day of his fast at Jantar Mantar.Actress Sonakshi Sinha praised the young protesters, saying, “I want to congratulate the youth of this country. They have raised their voice. They are fighting for the truth, for something good. But why isn’t anyone listening? Nobody is opening a dialogue. Nobody is talking. Nobody is even looking at them.” She added, “I am also a part of this country. I am not an anti-national. So why should I be quiet?” She recalled Wangchuk asking supporters not to persuade him to end his fast, but instead to ask the government why it had not initiated talks. Calling him “a gem,” she asked, “When is it going to be enough? Will you get up when this man dies? And whose responsibility will that be?” She ended her message with “Jai Hind.”Actor Fatima Sana Shaikh shared photographs of Wangchuk resting, writing that it had “now been 19 days” and the country could not “keep waiting until it’s too late to start listening.” She said, “whatever your politics, a student’s future is worth protecting.”Music composer Vishal Dadlani, speaking from the US, said his “heart is with” the students and Wangchuk. “They are not demanding a regime change. This is about the rights of students. My request to the government is to listen to their demands,” he said. While author Shobhaa De flagged doctors’ warnings that the next 24 to 48 hours could be crucial.Actor Atul Kulkarni announced a one-day fast at home on July 16, saying he wanted “to connect with the pain that Sonam ji and his associates are going through” and asked the government “to show its sensitivity towards the matter.”Content creators joined in too. Munawar Faruqui said the strike was for the “betterment of education and student of our country” and that Wangchuk “is fighting for country not against it.” Bhuvan Bam wrote, “Baat cheet se saare hal nikal aate hain. Umeed hai koi sunn le bas.” YouTuber Scout, whose real name is Tanmay Singh, urged his fellow content creators to speak up.Wangchuk has lost more than nine kg since beginning his fast on June 28, doctors monitoring him said. He has ruled out ending his fast, saying he would remain on hunger strike and join the CJP’s planned march to Parliament on July 20.