Sonam Wangchuk to end fast if demands accepted.
The activist said his protest highlights what he calls serious flaws in India’s education system and demands urgent reforms.
Key highlights
- He is admitted to Safdarjung Hospital after his health deteriorated.
- His primary demand is government accountability for education system failures and repeated examination paper leaks.
- He wants MPs and political leaders to assure him that the issue will be raised in Parliament.
- If unable to continue fasting, he seeks the same assurance from MPs at the hospital.
- The activist says his protest is aimed at securing meaningful education reforms and protecting students’ futures.
- Doctors continue to monitor his health while supporters across the country call for a resolution.
New Delhi: Activist and education reform advocate Sonam Wangchuk has said he will end his indefinite hunger strike only if the government or elected representatives fulfil three specific conditions, insisting that his protest will not conclude on the basis of verbal assurances alone.
Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike for 23 days, is currently undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital after his health deteriorated. Admitted on July 18, he has alleged in a handwritten note shared on X that he is being kept under “illegal detention” at the hospital.
Despite concerns over his health, Wangchuk said he remains committed to his campaign, which he says is aimed at exposing serious shortcomings in India’s education system, particularly the recurring issue of examination paper leaks.
In his message to supporters, Wangchuk acknowledged the growing anxiety surrounding his health but said ending the fast would depend entirely on meaningful action from the authorities. He stressed that his movement is focused on securing accountability and long-term reforms rather than symbolic gestures.
“Many of you have asked when I will end my fast,” Wangchuk wrote, adding that he would stop the protest on July 20 if the government accepted responsibility for the recent failures in the education system, including repeated examination paper leaks.
According to Wangchuk, this is the first and most important condition. He believes recurring paper leaks have severely damaged the credibility of competitive examinations and affected the future of countless students across the country. He has repeatedly argued that the issue deserves urgent attention and lasting reforms instead of temporary measures.
The second condition involves Parliament. Wangchuk said he would end the hunger strike if he and the leadership of the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) were allowed to reach the gates of Parliament, where Members of Parliament and leaders from various political parties would assure them that the issue would be formally raised inside the House.
He also outlined a third condition in case his health or other circumstances prevent him from continuing the fast. In such a situation, Wangchuk said he would agree to end the protest if MPs and political leaders visited him at Safdarjung Hospital and personally assured him that they would take up the matter in Parliament.
The activist has consistently maintained that his protest is centred on students and the future of India’s education system. According to him, repeated examination paper leaks have eroded public confidence, created uncertainty among lakhs of aspirants and exposed systemic weaknesses that require immediate corrective action.
Supporters, civil society groups and several public figures have expressed hope that the government will engage with his demands before his condition worsens. Social media has also witnessed widespread messages calling for dialogue and a peaceful resolution.
Safdarjung Hospital has stated that Wangchuk is receiving the highest standard of medical care. Doctors continue to monitor his condition closely, reflecting the seriousness of his prolonged fast and the need for constant medical supervision.
Even from his hospital bed, Wangchuk has reiterated that his decision to end the hunger strike rests on concrete commitments rather than promises. He said accountability for failures in the education system remains the central objective of his campaign, and he expects elected representatives to ensure the issue is debated in Parliament.