Youth Activist Sonam Wangchuk Ends Hunger Strike in India; Cockroach Party Leader Responds

Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike for 26 days in support of a youth-led movement demanding improvements in education, ended his fast last night. In a post on social media platform X, Wangchuk—popularly known as ‘Sonam Sir’—stated that after “extensive discussions on various conditions” and to prevent “potential violence in the country,” he decided to break the hunger strike. The 59-year-old began the strike to back the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which had called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Previously, Wangchuk revealed that he had lost 11 kilograms due to the strike but was still “alive.” Last Saturday, he was forcibly removed from the hunger strike site in Delhi and taken to a hospital. Reports indicate that Wangchuk ended his fast after the government assured no legal action would be taken against protesters at Jantar Mantar. Several Indian ministers visited him during his hospital stay.

Following Wangchuk’s decision to end the hunger strike, leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party issued statements. CJP founder Abhijit Dipke expressed on the social platform X, “We are relieved and grateful that Sonam Sir has ended his hunger strike after 26 days.” However, he emphasized, “The peaceful protest by the Cockroach Janata Party at Jantar Mantar will continue until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.” Despite police crackdowns during a parliamentary march on Monday, large-scale protests have not yet been suppressed in India’s capital. Hundreds of protesters and police officers have been injured in these confrontations. The CJP has now become one of the most recognized youth movements in India.