Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on an indefinite hunger strike to protest against paper leaks and demand education reforms, has finally ended his fast on the 27th day. The conclusion of the strike occurred late Thursday night when Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Union Minister Jitendra Singh arrived at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram at approximately 12:30 AM. Minister Nadda offered juice to Wangchuk, marking the formal end of his long-standing protest. The ministers' visit followed growing concerns over Wangchuk's deteriorating health and the intensifying nature of the protests.
Protests Continue at Jantar Mantar and Sansad Marg
While Wangchuk has broken his fast, the broader movement remains active. Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), expressed his happiness regarding Wangchuk ending the hunger strike but emphasized that the struggle is far from over, while dipke stated that the agitation at Jantar Mantar would continue until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns from his position. Today marks the 35th day of the continuous protest at Jantar Mantar, where thousands of demonstrators remain gathered. The situation became particularly tense late at night when protesters at Sansad Marg broke through police barricades. In light of these events, the CJP has announced a nationwide protest for today to further press their demands.
Sonam Wangchuk Statement and Conditions
Following the end of his fast, Sonam Wangchuk shared a message on the social media platform X, while he stated that he finally broke his fast after 26 days in the presence of Union Minister JP Nadda, Dr. Jitendra Singh, and senior leaders from the apex body of Leh-Ladakh. Wangchuk noted that prior to this, 65 Members of Parliament from various political parties had reached out to him, either in person or through letters, urging him to end his strike. He explained that the decision to step back was made after lengthy negotiations involving several conditions and with the intent to prevent any potential violence in the country. Wangchuk promised to release a separate video detailing these conditions soon and urged his supporters to remain vigilant and ensure that no violence occurs anywhere.
Prime Minister Modi Advice and Government Assurances
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to social media to address the situation. In a tweet, the Prime Minister urged Sonam Wangchuk to follow the advice of his doctors regarding his daily routine and expressed his hope that Wangchuk would regain his original weight as soon as possible. The end of the indefinite hunger strike was facilitated by the government's assurance that his demands would be addressed. During the meeting at Medanta Hospital, which included Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo, JP Nadda read out the government's commitment. He stated that the government is positive about not filing cases against those who participated in peaceful protests at Jantar Mantar or the march to Parliament on July 20. On top of that, the Health Minister assured that the government has already committed to discussing paper leaks and education reforms in Parliament. Nadda also mentioned that the government is positively considering providing appropriate compensation to the families of those who committed suicide due to the recent NEET paper leak incident.