‘Don’t save me, save the cause’: Indian activist Wangchuk’s message during hunger strike in New Delhi

Activist Sonam Wangchuk is in his third week of a hunger strike in New Delhi, protesting what he calls examination scandals and unemployment. Wangchuk, a prominent figure in India and internationally for his work in water conservation, has lost considerable weight and is suffering from dizzy spells amid the heat and humidity.

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Sonam sir is not doing so well, and his rib cage has started showing.

Wangchuk, a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner, is known for innovations like the ice stupa. His current protest began on June 20, demanding the resignation of the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This follows the leak and subsequent cancellation of India's National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical college admissions.

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He’s nearly 60, has lost muscle mass; the heat and humidity are not helping either and I can see him having dizzy spells.

"Paper leaks have been recurring for years," said Vijeta Dahiya, spokesperson for the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which Wangchuk's movement supports. Dahiya noted that 22 students died by suicide after this year's NEET leak, with the number being higher over the years. Wangchuk himself told journalists not to focus on saving him, but to channel their energy into the cause and pressure the government.

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His coming aboard has given our cause a huge boost.

Around 30 people have participated in the hunger strike, with others observing it from home. Dahiya described the protest as "the Indian way of non-violent protest," a tradition traced back to Mahatma Gandhi. The CJP, founded on May 16, 2026, emerged in response to remarks by a Supreme Court judge likening unemployed youth to "cockroaches."

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Paper leaks have been recurring for years.