Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike on July 24 after negotiating with government ministers and amid fears of potential violence nationwide [1, 2, 3, 4]. Wangchuk lost about 11 kg (24 lb) during the fast and broke it in the presence of two federal ministers and numerous parliament members who urged him to stop [5, 1, 3, 4].
Wangchuk had set a condition for ending his fast by demanding government guarantees that no police force or punitive actions would be taken against student protesters[c3]. He said he acted "after a long negotiation on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country" [1]. Following the end of the strike, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged him to "follow doctors’ advice and regain the weight he has lost" [1].
The hunger strike was in support of youth-led protests organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), calling for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over leaked medical entrance exam papers in May that affected about 2 million students [1, 3, 4]. The leaks have been linked to several student suicides [1, 3, 4]. Protests have spread to major cities including Delhi, Ranchi, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kolkata, representing the largest youth challenge to Prime Minister Modi since he took office in 2014 [1, 3, 4].
Authorities in Delhi shut down 16 metro stations and blocked mobile internet in protest areas to prevent clashes and disruptions [1, 4]. Some protests, including a large march on parliament Monday, saw police use batons and tear gas amid allegations of police brutality by demonstrators [1, 4]. Opposition parties have disrupted the monsoon parliamentary session, echoing youth demands [1, 3, 4].
Prime Minister Modi promised to set up fast-track courts to prosecute those involved in the exam paper leaks [2, 4]. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke thanked Wangchuk for his sacrifice and promised protests would continue until Education Minister Pradhan resigns, saying, "We won’t let Sonam sir’s sacrifice go in vain" [1, 3, 4].
Wangchuk said he plans to release a video explaining the details of the negotiation talks [1, 3, 4]. The protests and demands for education reform continue across India after the end of the hunger strike [1, 3, 4].
