'I am still alive': Indian activist on hunger strike for 26 days loses 11kg

Activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for over 25 days

Indian activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike for 26 days in support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), says he has lost 11kg (24lb) but is "still alive".

Popularly known as "Sonam sir", Wangchuk has been the main draw at the youth-led movement seeking education reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

He was forcibly removed from the CJP's protest venue at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday and taken to hospital from where he continues his fast.

Meanwhile, thousands continue to turn up at the protest venue even after the brutal police crackdown on Monday's march to parliament which left dozens of protesters and policemen injured.

Huge crowds continue to gather around the protest site in Delhi

As Wangchuk has grown increasingly frail, concerns over his health have mounted. Before being taken to hospital, he endured 21 days in Delhi's scorching summer heat on nothing but salt and water.

In a statement on Wednesday, Medanta Hospital, Gurugram, said the activist was admitted to the ICU.

"He is being treated by a multidisciplinary team of doctors. At present, he is stable, oriented, and his vital signs are within accepted parameters. All treatment being administered to him is in accordance with his informed consent."

On Wednesday, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, dozens of opposition MPs, activists and celebrities renewed their request to him to call off his hunger strike.

Health Minister JP Nadda, who had visited the activist at the hospital on Tuesday night, said he had also requested him to break his fast.

"We inquired about his health and well-being. We also requested him to break his fast, join the mainstream, and guide the children in the right direction," he said, adding that the government was open to discuss the issues raised by Wangchuk.

Health Minister JP Nadda visited the activist at the hospital and said he had requested him to break his fast

In a three-minute video statement, external from his hospital bed on Wednesday night, the activist said: "Many leaders, including ministers from the ruling party, have appealed to me to end my fast. I want to do that too because my work is important to me."

But, he said, he would not end his hunger strike unless the government gave him an assurance that no force or retaliatory action would be used against students.

"If I receive that assurance soon, I will end my hunger strike today. If not, I will unfortunately have to continue," he said.

The activist said he wante