Sonam Wangchuk ends 26-day fast; CJP protest continues.
The fast ended after weeks of appeals from political leaders and civil society groups urging Sonam Wangchuk to stop his protest.
- The meeting took place at Medanta Hospital with JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.
- The Centre said it would not register cases against peaceful protesters from the Jantar Mantar and Parliament march demonstrations.
- The government also promised discussion in Parliament on paper leaks and education reforms.
- Compensation for NEET paper leak suicide victims is being considered.
Sonam Wangchuk’s decision to end his 26-day hunger strike has brought a moment of relief to a protest movement that had begun to feel dangerously stretched. His fast became more than a personal sacrifice; for many students and supporters, it turned into a symbol of how deeply the paper leak anger had cut into public life.
The break came after midnight talks at Medanta Hospital, where Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met Wangchuk and conveyed the government’s assurances. Wangchuk later said on X that he had finally broken his fast in the presence of the ministers and leaders of the Apex Body of Leh Ladakh. For a movement built on moral pressure, that image matters: not a victory lap, but a quiet ending in a hospital room after days of strain.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response was notably personal. That kind of message can seem small in a loud political season, but it carries weight because it shows the government is aware that this conflict has a human face, not just a policy file.
The government’s assurances were equally important. Nadda said the Centre was positive about not registering cases against those who protested peacefully at Jantar Mantar and those who joined the March to Parliament on July 20. He also said the government had already assured parliamentary discussion on paper leaks and education reforms, and was positively considering compensation for the families of NEET paper leak suicide victims.
Wangchuk’s own message was careful and restrained. He said 65 MPs from different parties had visited or written to him, urging him to end the fast, and he warned people to remain vigilant against violence of any kind. That warning feels especially important because hunger strikes can inspire solidarity, but they can also become flashpoints if emotions tip from protest into chaos.
Even with the fast over, the movement is not over. The CJP said it was relieved and grateful that Wangchuk had stopped, but made clear that the peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar would continue until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns. That shows the protest has entered a new phase: one leader steps back from fasting, while the larger campaign stays in motion.
There is also a human truth underneath all this: people rarely give up a 26-day fast lightly. It means the body has been pushed to its limit, and the mind has spent days carrying the weight of a cause larger than itself.
The real test now is whether the assurances turn into action. If the government follows through on its promises, the fast’s end may mark a narrow opening for dialogue. If not, the anger around exam fairness, police action, and ministerial accountability will simply return in another form, and this brief moment of calm will feel even more fragile in hindsight.