Sonam Wangchuk writes to Centre, says will end hunger strike on assurance of no action against protesters

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike over the NEET paper leak and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, on Wednesday laid out his demands to end his indefinite fast in a letter to the Centre. The development comes after Union minister JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met Wangchuk at the Medanta hospital in Gurugram on Tuesday.

Wangchuk thanked the ministers for visiting him in the hospital and urging him to break his fast while pressing for concrete government commitments on student welfare and accountability.

Consideration on Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation

He noted that during their discussion, the ministers assured him that the government would positively consider two key demands —

• “Adequate compensation for the families of students who committed suicide following the examination paper leak.”
• “A meaningful discussion in Parliament to ensure accountability, including consideration of the resignation of the Education Minister,” Wangchuk wrote in the letter.

Speaking about the July 20 “Chalo Sansad” and the police lathicharge on protesters, Wangchuk said the protest remains “very peaceful despite the atrocities and disproportionate use of force by the police”.  “The entire nation and the world witnessed their patience and commitment to democratic protest,” he added.

Condition to end fast

The 59-year-old activist elaborated that around 65 MPs across parties have written to him, urging him to end his fast and return to the service of the nation, following which he has decided to end his fast only on the assurance that the protesters will not face any legal action from the government.

“I want to live. I want to return to my students, to education, and to the work that has defined my life. But I cannot do so at the cost of the very young people for whom this movement began. I respectfully request an unequivocal assurance from the government that none of the young protesters will face any punitive or retaliatory legal action for participating in this movement,” he wrote.

“If such an assurance is given, I shall end my fast with faith that the government has heard not only my appeal but also the aspirations of lakhs of young Indians. In the absence of such an assurance, I will be forced to continue my fast indefinitely,” Wangchuk added.

The protest, led by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since June 6, intensified after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and began an indefinite hunger strike.

The protesters are demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak and Rs 1 crore in compensation for the families of students who died by suicide in connection with the examination controversy.

On July 18, the 21st day of his fast, Wangchuk was removed from the protest site by Delhi Police and admitted to Safdarjung Hospital.

On Tuesday, a Delhi court directed that Wangchuk be transferred immediately to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram after his wife, Gitanjali J. Angmo, moved the court challenging his continued treatment at Safdarjung Hospital.