00:00Are you guys here to catch a glimpse of Sonam Vangchuk?
00:03Yes, we are. And we are in total support of Sonam, sir.
00:08A lot of raised fists along with a lot of raised phones in the air
00:11and that is all because they want to get a glimpse of Sonam Vangchuk.
00:14Just a day before Sonam Vangchuk was taken away from the protest site
00:18and shifted to a hospital, this was the scene at Jantar Mantar.
00:21Whether one liked CJP or not, or was on the fence about the protest,
00:25there was a collective support for Sonam Vangchuk.
00:27His 21-day hunger strike gave national weight to a youth-led movement.
00:31His fast drew major public attention.
00:33I don't live in Delhi, but I wanted to come here and see him
00:35because I think he's doing something very important for us.
00:38For many students on the ground, this was their first brush with a political movement,
00:42one that cut across traditional political lines
00:44and gave them a reason to engage, question and form their own opinions.
00:47My first time attending a protest and this is the first time I'm forming an opinion of my own as
00:52an adult.
00:53And this is my first protest, I'm coming here only because of Sonam Vangchuk.
00:55His prolonged fast led to a drop in his blood sugar levels.
00:59His physical condition deteriorated enough for the Delhi High Court
01:01to direct the government to monitor his health every day.
01:04Looking at reels and stuff, he does not look good at all.
01:07I'm scared, he's such an important person, he hasn't contributed so much.
01:11Soon after, he was whisked away from the protest site on medical grounds.
01:14Yet despite his visibly declining health,
01:17no representative of the government has held talks with him.
01:19There was a time when Gandhian fast created enough public pressure
01:22to force governments to negotiate.
01:24Many of the Gen Z protesters gathered here are too young to remember
01:27Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement in 2011.
01:30Today, Anna Hazare has this message for the government.
01:46Today's protest landscape, however, is different.
01:49Public attention spans are shorter and viral social media support
01:52doesn't always translate into political action.
01:54Still, at Jantar Mantar, much of the day revolved around one person.
01:59Organisers constantly manage the crowds, hoping to meet Wang Chuk.
02:02Politicians gave speeches, activists performed,
02:05but almost every eye remained fixed on the man lying on a mattress,
02:09continuing his fast.
02:10Now, with Wang Chuk removed from the protest site,
02:12CJB founder Abhiji Dipke has taken up the hunger strike.
02:15The movement's next quick test comes on July 20,
02:17when protesters plan to march to Parliament.
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