Sonam Wangchuk Ends Fast

Activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day indefinite hunger strike on Friday midnight. Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Dr. Jitendra Singh met and held discussions with Wangchuk, who was undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. Following the talks, he broke his fast in their presence.

Wangchuk was undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital after his health deteriorated. He stated that he decided to end the fast following lengthy discussions with representatives of the Central Government. Wangchuk disclosed this information on his X (formerly Twitter) account. In his post, he mentioned that he would soon release a special video explaining why he ended his fast. He also urged everyone to stay vigilant and ensure there is no room for violence anywhere in the country. “I ended my hunger strike after 26 days in the presence of Union Ministers J.P. Nadda, Dr. Jitendra Singh, and leaders of the Leh-Ladakh Apex Body. As many as 65 MPs belonging to various political parties requested me to call off the fast, either in person or through letters,” Wangchuk stated in his post.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted wishing Sonam Wangchuk a speedy recovery. PM Modi expressed his hope that Wangchuk follows the diet advised by doctors and returns to full health.

Sonam Wangchuk began his hunger strike on June 28. He launched this protest over irregularities in the NEET examination and demanding transparency in the education system. He also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

His health deteriorated due to the hunger strike, leading to his transfer to Safdarjung Hospital. Later, following orders from the Delhi High Court on a petition filed by his wife Gitanjali, he was shifted to Medanta Hospital for better medical treatment. It was there that the Union Ministers persuaded him to end his fast.