Wangchuk's health worsens as politicians, citizens appeal to end fast, slam 'heartless' government
New Delhi: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) began its protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on June 20 to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following the NEET-UG paper leak, while educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has continued his hunger strike, seeking dialogue between the Centre and the protesters.
As of Tuesday, July 14, 17 days had passed since Wangchuk began his fast alongside several others, as reports of their deteriorating health drew widespread concern. According to organisers, Wangchuk has lost 8.2 kg since beginning his fast.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, in a post on X on Day 17 of the fast, said Wangchuk had started losing muscle mass and was in immense pain. Dipke said he, like everyone else, had pleaded with Wangchuk to end his fast, to which Wangchuk had calmly replied that instead of asking him to end his fast, they should ask the government why it would not even hold a dialogue.
As the protest entered its 25th day, several politicians and public figures came forward in support of the movement, appealing to the Centre to take cognisance of the agitation while also urging protesters to call off their fast.
More than 1,821 artistes, writers, academics, social activists and other concerned citizens released a letter appealing to Wangchuk and the other hunger strikers to withdraw their fast. The signatories, including Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Arundhati Roy, Jean Dreze, Anuradha Chenoy, Jayati Ghosh, Nivedita Menon, Radha Kumar, Madhu Bhushan, Sanjay Kak, Lalita Ramdas, Kavita Srivastava, Aditya Nigam and Arundhati Ghosh, said in the letter that they were making the appeal because they believed the government lacked a heart or a conscience, while underlining their support for the protesters' demand.
Here is the letter:
Dear Friends who are sitting in Hunger Strike at the Jantar Mantar, Delhi, demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Cabinet Minister for Education in the Government of India,
We, the undersigned citizens of this country, fully support your demand and are immensely grateful to you for being our voices of protest, fighting this battle against a fascist government from the frontlines. We salute your sense of purpose, the determination, and courage with which you are spearheading this movement for students and youth across the country. But we are also very concerned for your health and well-being and the impact that this indefinite hunger strike can have on all of you.
We make this appeal because we all know that this government does not have a heart or a conscience. We have seen time again how they have behaved in the most inhuman and dastardly manner with protesters be they the women wrestlers, the farmers, Father Stan Swamy, wrongly jailed who requested for a straw to drink water, or GD Agarwal the IIT Professor and environmentalist who died in Rishikesh following a hunger strike to clean the Ganga and ban hydroelectric projects. We worry that their negligence in responding to your demands will only further worsen the already fragile state of health that many of you are in.
We request you to please consider ending this hunger strike immediately in the interests of the longer and more difficult struggle ahead. This battle is a marathon not a sprint and we need you, your strength and leadership in the days to come. We are also requesting all those in Delhi to join the Cockroach Janata Party's March to the Parliament on July 20, 2026. We hope you will understand that our appeal to you is a testament of both our unconditional love and deep respect for each one of you and what you stand for. Zindabad to your spirit.
With love,
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also appealed to Wangchuk to withdraw his hunger strike, saying no sacrifice holds significance for what he called the "insensitive" BJP government. In a post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said Wangchuk's life was invaluable to the world as it embodied a commitment to humanity, the environment and democracy alike.
Yadav said the BJP government that Wangchuk was attempting to awaken through his fast was itself a principle-less and corrupt system, and that its insensitivity meant no one's sacrifice held any significance for it. He also targeted the party over the alleged donation theft at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, questioning how those looting temples out of greed for power could understand the meaning of satyagraha, and said he hoped Wangchuk's moral strength would continue to inspire Indians and remain a beacon for the youth and for struggles related to democracy and the environment.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray extended his support to the CJP, urging parties to back the agitation without bringing in political affiliations.
Actor Prakash Raj joined the movement on July 11, holding conversations with Wangchuk, and has continued to voice his views on social media, pointing to the silence from the government and other parties. Praising the movement, he wrote that Wangchuk was an inspiration and that he stood with him and the protesters.
Actor Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur Ramalingam in "3 Idiots," a film inspired by Wangchuk, took to Instagram to raise awareness about the fast. He said Wangchuk, whose life inspired the character Phunsukh Wangdu, was a Ladakhi engineer, innovator and reformer whom he had personally met, and said he did not want him to die, regardless of whether one agreed with his views.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Omi Vaidya (@omivaidya_official)
CJP president Abhijeet Dipke said he had received a phone call from AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who had enquired about Wangchuk's health and expressed concern over his condition.
TMC MPs Sagarika Ghose and Mahua Moitra, along with social activists Yogendra Yadav and Anjali Bhardwaj, visited Jantar Mantar to back the movement. Bhardwaj said it was shameful that citizens were forced to take such a step to demand accountability over exam paper leaks, adding that theft could only be stopped when the culprits were caught.