NEW DELHI: Appeals to Sonam Wangchuk to break his indefinite fast demanding Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over exam paper leaks grew on Tuesday, the 17th day of the Ladakhi activist’s protest.
Wangchuk has been fasting in central Delhi in solidarity with the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, Abhijeet Dipke, who is staging a sit-in at Jantar Mantar in Delhi demanding that Pradhan step down over the leaks in May that affected millions of students.
The CJP, founded by 30-year-old Dipke, has caught the imagination of young Indians on Instagram, gaining 22 million followers within a few days of being set up in May. Wangchuk, 59, lying on a white mattress on a stage in front of a handful of people, gestured to Reuters that he was too weak to talk.
He said earlier his fast could last six weeks unless he died first.
In a picture posted to X where Wangchuk can be seen surrounded by medics, the CJP said he had lost 8.5 kg of weight as of Tuesday and his “health continues to deteriorate”.
“We have been trying to convince Sonam sir to withdraw his hunger strike but he is adamant to continue it,” Dipke said between talking to onlookers and YouTubers. “Sonam sir is asking us to keep preparing for the march to parliament on 20th July. I feel the government wants Sonam sir and other people on hunger strike to die.”
A young person who was also on a hunger strike at the protest site near Parliament fainted on Monday and was taken to hospital.
‘HIS LIFE IS INVALUABLE’
Several senior opposition leaders also called on Wangchuk, an engineer turned activist who inspired a character in the blockbuster Bollywood film 3 Idiots, to end his fast.
“His life is invaluable to the entire world because it embodies a commitment to humanity and the environment that is as profound as his commitment to democracy,” Akhilesh Yadav of the SP said on X.
The CJP describes itself as representing “the lazy, the unemployed, and the chronically correct”. Its rapid online rise reflects frustrations among young Indians, who are estimated to make up more than half the country’s 1.42 billion population.
India’s unemployment rate was 3.1 per cent in 2025 for people aged 15 and above, government data showed, but nearly 10 per cent among those aged 15 to 29, rising to 13.6 per cent in urban areas.
Young people have also been angered by the question paper leaks, which led to the cancellation of the medical college examination taken by 2.3 million candidates. It was eventually held last month.
Veteran Bollywood star Zeenat Aman appealed to the central government to open a dialogue with Wangchuk.
“We must not become a society that sits back and watches one of its greatest minds be sacrificed. India has a long history of peaceful protest; those who wield power are obliged to meet such protest with peaceful dialogue,” Aman wrote in a post on Instagram.
“With respect to Mr. Wangchuk’s wishes, I implore the Indian government to open dialogue on this matter that concerns the future of all India,” she added.
“I read in a news article that Mr. Wangchuk, ‘…has started losing muscle mass and is in immense pain.’ And that, when asked to end his fast, he replied ‘Don’t ask me to end my fast. Ask the government why they won’t even have a dialogue’,” she wrote.
Aman noted Wangchuk’s achievements as the founder of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), inventor of the “ice stupa”, an advocate of educational reform in Ladakh and an environmental activist whose work has earned global recognition.
“By all accounts Mr. Wangdu is a brilliant and conscientious man, one that has been recognised globally for his social impact with umpteen prestigious awards,” she said.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said he will visit Jantar Mantar at 5pm on Thursday to extend his support to Wangchuk and the CJP protest.
“Sonam Wangchuk is on hunger strike for some days and his health is deteriorating. He is an asset of the country and I appeal him to end his hunger strike. There are other ways also for the struggle,” the former Delhi chief minister said.
AAP supports the CJP protest and its demands and Pradhan should immediately step down, he said.
AAP leader and former Delhi chief minister Atishi met Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar on Monday.
PTI/Reuters