Sonam Wangchuk says he will end his hunger strike if government assures no action against protesters for violence during the Chalo Sansad march

Professional protester Sonam Wangchuk on Wednesday wrote a fresh letter to Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Dr Jitendra Singh, stating that he would end his indefinite hunger strike if the government gave an unequivocal assurance that no punitive or retaliatory legal action would be taken against the students and protesters who took part in the Chalo Sansad march on July 20. Once again, he made no demand of resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

In the letter dated July 22 and shared on his social media account, Wangchuk thanked the two ministers for visiting him at the hospital the previous night and for their earnest appeal that he break his fast. He mentioned that during the discussion they had assured him the government would positively consider adequate compensation for the families of students who had died by suicide following examination paper leaks, as well as a meaningful discussion in Parliament to ensure accountability, including “consideration of the resignation of the Education Minister”.

Wangchuk, however, made it clear that his primary concern now was the safety of the student participants. He claimed that the Chalo Sansad march of July 20 was “very peaceful despite the atrocities and disproportionate use of force by the police,” ignoring large scale violence and stone pelting by the protesters. He expressed the hope that the faith of the protesters in democratic institutions would not be undermined by legal cases, harassment or vindictive action.

“Therefore, I respectfully request an unequivocal assurance from the Government that none of the young protesters will face any punitive or retaliatory legal action for participating in this movement. Their only ‘offence’ has been to raise their voice for a fair and accountable education system,” the letter stated.

He added that if such an assurance was given, he would end his fast “with faith that the Government has heard not only my appeal but also the aspirations of lakhs of young Indians.” In the absence of that assurance, he said, he would be forced to continue the fast indefinitely. He also hoped there would be no further use of excessive police force to repress the movement.

Wangchuk noted that roughly 65 Members of Parliament from across political parties had written to him, with some already visiting and others expected later, all urging him to end the fast and return to the work that had defined his life. He said he wanted to live and resume his educational efforts, but not at the cost of the young people for whom the movement had begun. Once the government assurance came, he added, he would also appeal to the peacefully protesting students to halt the movement for now and enter into dialogue.

It is interesting to note that while Sonam Wangchuk joined the protests led by CJP and started his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, he has dropped the demand for resignation of Education Minister, while CJP leaders still insist on it.

Sonam Wangchuk was admitted to the government-run Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on 18th July after his condition deteriorated at the protest site. His wife, Gitanjali Angmo, expressed concerns over the quality of care and alleged lack of transparency in medical reports, and approached the Delhi High Court with a plea to shift him to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram for better monitoring and treatment.

Following hearings, the Delhi High Court on July 21 directed his transfer to Medanta Hospital, an expensive private multi-speciality facility. Wangchuk was discharged from Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday and shifted to Medanta, where he was admitted to the ICU. According to updates from Medanta, he is being treated by a multidisciplinary team of doctors and remains stable, conscious, and oriented, with vital signs within acceptable parameters.

Opposition leaders and MPs from various parties have visited him at Medanta to urge him to end the fast, handing over memoranda signed by dozens of parliamentarians assuring parliamentary discussion on the issues.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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