Sonam Wangchuk, the engineer turned climate activist who inspired the character of Phunsukh Wangdu in Bollywood movie “3 Idiots,” is back in the national capital with an indefinite hunger strike but this time he is not demanding statehood for Ladakh, but is protesting against alleged malpractice in competitive examinations in India. His hunger strike has now passed the twentieth day.
Wangchuk started his indefinite hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar on June 28, supporting the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a Gen Z protest movement that calls for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The CJP was founded in response to the comments made by India's Chief Justice Surya Kant, whose speech included insults against the unemployed youth of India, who were called "cockroaches" and "parasites" during one of his speeches at the court.
The initially satirical movement on the Internet eventually resulted in an occupation of Jantar Mantar, which is the only officially permitted protest site in Delhi.
The main problem associated with the protest movement is related to irregularities in the competitive examination of the state.
In particular, protesters are complaining about the NEET medical entrance examination paper leak, which is believed to affect millions of students who are preparing for the entrance examinations into medical colleges.
According to today's update, the number of days of hunger strike undertaken by Wangchuk has already gone past 19 to 20 days, during which time he has apparently worsened in health status.
Medical personnel supervising Wangchuk at the protest venue have stated that Wangchuk has already lost nine kilogrammes since the beginning of the hunger strike. At present, volunteers and medical personnel are conducting a daily check-up of the hunger striker at Jantar Mantar, while pictures from the site show that he is undergoing check-ups with the assistance of his supporters amid weakened physical condition.
Undeterred by worsening health conditions, Wangchuk continues to stand tough. In an address to other protesters, he stated that "weak outside but very strong inside" and promised that his hunger strike would go on up to July 20 at least, saying that in case the protest on the day does not work out as per plan, he will "come back as a ghost."
Apart from this, it has been reported that yet another young hunger striker had collapsed in the protest site early this week itself and needed immediate admission to the hospital because of the severe impact of this prolonged strike on his body and health.
In view of the increasing level of concern about the health of Wangchuk, intervention of the judiciary has taken place in the form of public interest litigation being filed before the Delhi High Court on 15 July. On the very next day, a Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia instructed both the central and Delhi governments to ensure that Wangchuk gets daily clinical health checkup because "life of any citizen is precious."
Further, it has been directed by the court that any medical assistance should be provided on the basis of assessment of doctors who are examining Wangchuk.
The PIL was disposed of with this assurance. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the government, submitted to the court that the health of Wangchuk would be checked by government doctors and medical experts on a daily basis.
The long hunger strike has been greeted by different reactions on the part of politicians, film stars, and other like-minded people. The farmers’ representative Rakesh Tikait has recently paid a visit to Jantar Mantar and said that the government had not considered this agitation seriously owing to Wangchuk’s deteriorating health condition. Moreover, some political leaders of the opposition parties have directly called upon Wangchuk to discontinue his hunger strike in support of the demand for punishing the guilty of the leakage of exams.
The Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha has shown her solidarity with this agitation in a social networking site by saying something to the government about the exam leakages. On the other hand, the actor Atul Kulkarni went on a day-long hunger strike to learn about the conditions of Wangchuk and other agitators.
Yet, the government does not seem to have any intention of meeting their main demands – the resignation of the education minister. Hence, there is a deadlock at Jantar Mantar owing to Wangchuk’s health problem.
This is by no means the first prolonged hunger strike Wangchuk has participated in. He has undertaken several hunger strikes in the past in the course of demanding statehood for Ladakh and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
These have included a 21-day hunger strike in sub-freezing conditions in Leh in 2024 and another of 35 days’ duration in 2025 which had to be prematurely terminated owing to violence and his subsequent arrest under the National Security Act. This arrest, along with other events, is still pending litigation in the Supreme Court.
That he has been willing to jeopardize his health for such causes is nothing new but is a trait that has earned him much praise as well as condemnation and which is now on display once more at Jantar Mantar.
