Why Indian Activist Sonam Wangchuk Is on Hunger Strike

Sonam Wangchuk is a famous activist from India who has been refusing to eat for more than two weeks. He is doing this to protest serious problems with India's school entrance exams. His health has been getting worse, and doctors say they are very concerned. Many people across India are watching closely to see what the government will do.

Wangchuk is 59 years old and comes from Ladakh, a mountainous region in northern India. He is a mechanical engineer who has spent years working to improve education and create new technologies for mountain communities. His most famous invention is the 'ice stupa,' an artificial glacier that collects winter water for farmers to use in spring. He won a major award in 2018 called the Ramon Magsaysay Award, which is often described as Asia's version of the Nobel Prize.

Many people around the world know Wangchuk because of a 2009 Bollywood movie called '3 Idiots.' The movie's main character, played by actor Aamir Khan, was inspired by Wangchuk's real life. Even so, Wangchuk has often said he does not feel closely connected to the film. The movie still made him one of the most recognized figures in India outside of politics.

The protest started with a group called the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, founded by 30-year-old activist Abhijeet Dipke. The CJP is a citizens' movement that became hugely popular online, gaining 22 million Instagram followers within just a few days of launching in May. On June 20, the group started demonstrations at a place in Delhi called Jantar Mantar. Wangchuk joined the protest on June 28 and began his hunger strike in support of the students.

The protesters are angry because questions from a national medical school entrance exam called NEET were leaked before test day. This means some students may have seen the answers in advance, which was unfair to the 2.3 million students who took the exam honestly. The test had to be canceled and given again. Only about 5 to 6 percent of students who take NEET earn spots at medical schools, so the stakes are extremely high.

The protesters have three main demands. They want Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign and take responsibility for the exam problems. They also want major reforms to make the exam system fairer for all students. Finally, they are asking for $116,000 in compensation for families of students who reportedly died by suicide due to stress caused by the exam chaos.

Wangchuk's doctors say his health has gotten much worse during the hunger strike. He has lost more than 8.4 kilograms and his blood pressure and blood sugar levels have both dropped dangerously. He now feels dizzy when standing and needs help to walk. Despite these serious warnings, Wangchuk has said he will keep fasting until the protest reaches its goal.

Many well-known people have spoken out in support of Wangchuk. Famous actors and major political leaders from across India have visited the protest site or made public statements backing his cause. However, the federal government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not officially responded to the protesters' demands. Organizers say this silence is frustrating and unfair to the students involved.

The CJP has planned a peaceful march to India's parliament on July 20, the day lawmakers return from a break. If the government still does not respond, organizers say people from all over the country will be invited to join. A lawyer has also asked the Delhi High Court to order the government to give Wangchuk medical care, including food through a tube if necessary. The situation remains tense as India waits to see if the government will act.