Indian Activist Wangchuk Ends 26-Day Hunger Strike as Youth Protests Continue

(WS News) – Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended a 26-day hunger strike that helped galvanize one of the country’s largest youth-led protest movements in recent years, even as demonstrators vowed to keep up the pressure until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.

Wangchuk, 59, had been fasting since late June in solidarity with India’s “Cockroach” movement, a youth-led campaign demanding accountability over a series of leaked medical college entrance exam papers. In a post on social media, Wangchuk said he ended his fast in the presence of two federal ministers, following what he described as “a long negotiation on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country.” He did not elaborate on the specific terms reached, saying he would detail them separately.

Wangchuk’s announcement came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a video address saying his government would introduce tougher legislation to curb exam paper leaks and fast-track court proceedings against those responsible, with the cabinet expected to take up the issue. The movement, spearheaded by a group called the Cockroach Janta Party, has expanded well beyond its original grievance over exam leaks, tapping into broader public frustration over unemployment, government accountability, and economic opportunity, and drawing professionals, families, and activists into demonstrations across the country.

The protests turned volatile earlier in the week, when thousands of demonstrators marching toward India’s Parliament faced a harsh police crackdown. Organizers have called for nationwide demonstrations in solidarity with the students affected, and Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke said the movement would not let Wangchuk’s sacrifice “go in vain,” vowing to continue until Pradhan steps down.