AISA activists end 23-day hunger strike to continue ‘other forms of struggle’

CPI(ML) Liberation AISA (All India Students Association) member Neha, Ameen Amitoj and Manish Kumar end their hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on Monday (July 20, 2026). Photo credit: X@neha_aisa

After a 23-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, three protesting students from the All India Students’ Association (AISA) – Neha, Ameen Amitoj and Manish Kumar – ended their fast following calls from MPs, civil society members and academics. They said they would opt for “other forms of struggle”.

They started their hunger strike on the same day as Sonam Wangchuk, during a protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Among those who urged the three students to end their fast were MPs Manoj Jha, Rajaram Singh, Amra Ram along with Yogendra Yadav, advocate Prashant Bhushan, professor Atul Sood and actors Prakash Raj and Shabana Azmi.

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“The amount of joy to see crowds of millions of students and youth was more than the joy of breaking the hunger strike. Such a strong mobilization on the issue of education is worth mentioning,” said Ms. Neha, a PhD student at Jawaharlal Nehru University and national president of AISA, after breaking the fast.

She criticized the government’s decision to charge the protesters on Monday (20 July 2026), adding that the government and the police were “unable to understand that this fight is for their children who will one day become doctors and engineers”.

“Their entrustment of the lathi is not only on us but on the future of their own children… I want to appeal to everyone to stand by the movement as it moves to the next phase of the struggle after the hunger strike is over,” she added.

AISA said in a statement: “The student leaders fought bravely, all losing more than 12% of their body mass along with persistently dangerously low blood sugar and catastrophic effects on their organs.” Volunteer doctors put together individual meal plans for them to ensure they don’t suffer from refeeding syndrome.

N. Sai Balaji, former JNUSU president of AISA, said they would launch a month-long campaign concurrent with the Parliament session, reflecting their demands raised at Jantar Mantar. He said that since Monday (July 20) evening they were “assessing how many are injured, how many need treatment” and were checking to see if the protesters were safe.

Published – 20 Jul 2026 21:39 IST