“Today is day 16 of his hunger strike and his blood sugar and blood pressure have dropped and every time he tries to sit down or get up, he feels very dizzy,” Dipke told the BBC.

“It’s hard for him to even walk to the bathroom. He’s really struggling. He’s in a lot of pain, but every time I try to tell him to end his hunger strike, he scolds me and says, ‘don’t worry about me.'”

Dipke said doctors have told Wangchuk that it is not appropriate for him to continue because there are serious concerns regarding his health. He added that he had also been receiving thousands of messages daily, asking him to persuade Wangchuk to break his fast.

“But he is still very determined to move forward. He has told me that he will not stop until the government fixes accountability in the education system.”

At Jantar Mantar, too, there are increasingly loud voices calling for him to break his fast, and many of those present told the BBC they were concerned about Wangchuk’s deteriorating condition.

Among those who have come to watch “Sonam sir” is Animesh Sahu, a 29-year-old engineer from Hyderabad.

“I grew up watching his videos and I have an emotional connection with him. I feel very concerned about his health. The government should pay attention to him,” Sahu said.

One farmer, Satyaprakash Bharadwaj, described Wangchuk as “a diamond” who is “ready to sacrifice his life” for the younger generation. “I pray that he stops his hunger strike. He will only be able to fight for our children when he is strong,” she said.

Professor Nandita Narain, a professor of education, says, “It is very sad that someone like Wangchuk, who has made such an outstanding contribution to public life, has to resort to a hunger strike to get the government to act.”

He said he would also ask Wangchuk to end his fast because “his life is in danger.”

“We have a battle to fight that will last much longer. We need a sustained protest and the movement has to be sustained. It is important that he lives to fight the battle,” he said.