New Delhi: Activist Sonam Wangchuk has explained why he decided to end his 26-day hunger strike even though the government did not assure him that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan would resign over the alleged NEET paper leak controversy.
In a 11-minute-22-second video message, Wangchuk said he chose to end the fast after receiving written commitments from the Centre on several key demands, including protection for peaceful protesters, compensation for families of students who died, and a parliamentary debate on examination reforms and accountability.
Wangchuk said he remained on hunger strike for two additional days because he wanted the government’s promises in writing rather than verbal assurances.
According to him, Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met him after two days of discussions. Earlier, around 65 Members of Parliament from different political parties had also appealed to him to end the fast, assuring him that the issue of the NEET paper leak and the examination system would be discussed in Parliament.
Wanchuk said, “Today, on the 26th day, I would like to share some important news with you. It’s about 12:30 at night. Just a while ago, Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh came here, and the top leaders of the Apex Body of Ladakh also came here. Before that, you know, about 65 MPs from various political parties came and signed, asking us to break our fast. They assured us that they would discuss this issue in Parliament, including the NEET paper leak and the examination system. The ministers who came from the government also assured us that for the past two days, we had been very tough. What can I say, there was a kind of bargaining going on: I want assurances, and they want them in writing. This took two days, and that’s why I had to sit on the fast for two more days. I could have sat on it even longer, but finally, today they have given me written assurances.”
Wangchuk acknowledged that the government did not provide any assurance regarding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
“Now you will definitely ask what happened to Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. Firstly, they were unable to give me any assurance as to when this would happen… Now I had two options: either I go on a hunger strike for more weeks, and perhaps that would lead to the end of me. Then thousands of you have been telling me since 2-3 weeks ago that my life is important, and to continue the struggle, I have to stay alive,” Wanchuk said.
However, he said he had to decide whether to continue fasting for several more weeks and risk his life or accept the gains already achieved through the movement.
He said many supporters had urged him to stay alive and continue the campaign rather than sacrifice his life.
Explaining his decision, Wangchuk said that protecting students from legal cases was more important than securing the minister’s resignation. He argued that if the minister did not resign, the political consequences would be faced by the government itself.
“If he (Dharmendra Pradhan) doesn’t do this, doesn’t resign, it won’t harm the children or us; it will harm the government itself. By not avoiding this small issue, he is harming himself. He should have resigned. Resignation would have stopped all this damage long ago. This wasn’t the most important thing for me; it would be resolved on its own. More important to me than any other way was that our children should not be implicated in such cases,” the activist said.
Wangchuk said the movement had achieved significant progress by ensuring written commitments from the government. He expressed satisfaction that students would not face criminal cases, affected families would receive compensation, and Parliament would debate accountability in the education system.
Thanking supporters, he said the struggle for a fair and accountable examination system would continue.
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Saumya Agrawal has accumulated over four years of experience curating viral, trending, offbeat, and unconventional news stories. Her journalistic contributions span reputable media outlets, showcasing her ability to uncover viral content.