Educationist Sonam Wangchuk, affectionately called 'Sonam sir', has been on a hunger strike for 26 days in protest of the way the government treats students and the leak of exam papers. He reports losing 11kg (24lb) yet says he is still alive.
The activist rose to prominence as a main speaker for the youth‑led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He was forcibly removed from the protest venue at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and taken to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, where he entered the ICU.
Doctors at Medanta reported that Wangchuk is stable, oriented, and his vital signs are within accepted ranges. The treatment team is administering care according to his informed consent. Health Minister JP Nadda visited him, urging him to end the fast, but Wangchuk declined unless the government assures no use of force against students.
In a three‑minute video from his hospital bed, Wangchuk said he will end the fast only after receiving a guarantee that students will not be harmed. He praised students who stayed restrained during a brutal police confrontation that left dozens injured.
The CJP tied its demands to the resignation of Pradhan, claiming repeated leaks of major exams, including a medical entrance test, have damaged student futures. The movement, sparked by a chief justice’s remark about unemployed youth, has now become a major political challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi announced fast‑track courts to clamp down on exam leaks, while opposition politicians staged a protest outside his residence.
Despite police intensifying security—closing numerous metro stations and deploying tear gas—the sit‑in at Jantar Mantar continues. Protesters hold up tensions, while the government continues negotiations with CJP leaders and the activist remains in the ICU, refusing to relinquish his fast.
