‘Hunger doesn’t taste bad,’ says Sonam Wangchuk after breaking 26-day fast
3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 24, 2026 12:21 PM IST
Wangchuk was seen ending his fast late Thursday in the presence of Singh and Nadda, among others, at the Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon. (Screenshot from video)
Hours after ending his 26-day hunger strike in support of the students’ protest led by Cockroach Janta Party, activist Sonam Wangchuk said Friday he broke his fast after a “hard bargain” with the Centre over several demands.
In a video posted on X, Wangchuk said Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh, on behalf of the Centre, gave him a written assurance on three issues: that no cases will be lodged against protesting students, a discussion will be held in Parliament to find a solution to paper leaks, and that suitable compensation will be given to suicide victims of recent NEET paper leaks.
While ending his fast, he said after 26 days it “tastes good, but hunger doesn’t taste bad”.
Wangchuk said he would have continued his hunger strike even longer; however, the ministers, on behalf of the Centre, finally gave him a written assurance.
“The government is positive on not registering cases against those protesting peacefully at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and those participating in the march to Parliament on July 20, 2026. The government has already assured thorough discussions to find solutions to paper leaks and educational reforms for exams in the Parliament. Besides, the government is also positively considering suitable compensations for the suicide victims of recent NEET paper leaks,” Nadda was seen reading a statement in the video posted by Wangchuk.
A flurry of support
Wangchuk was seen ending his fast late Thursday in the presence of Singh and Nadda, among others, at the Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon.
He also mentioned that the top leaders of the Ladakh apex body had visited him. He added that earlier, 65 Members of Parliament from different political parties met him or signed letters urging him to break the fast. He said they also assured that issues related to NEET and the examination process will be discussed.
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A day ago, Wangchuk released a letter addressed to Nadda and Singh, in which he said the ministers had assured him that the government would consider providing “adequate compensation for the families of the students who allegedly died by suicide following the examination paper leak” and “a meaningful discussion in Parliament to ensure accountability, including consideration of the resignation” of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Soon after Wangchuk ended his fast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X said, “I urge Sonam ji to follow doctors’ advice and regain his previous weight as soon as possible. I pray to the Lord that Sonam ji remains healthy.”
As the Opposition remained firm on their demand for Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET-UG paper leak. Earlier, Singh said the government’s “doors are always open for talks with the students,” and that the protesters could come to either Nadda’s residence or his office for talks.
Amrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Indian Express. In the past, Amrita has extensively reported on the media industry and broadcasting matters, urban affairs, bureaucracy and government policies. In the last 14 years of her career, she has worked in newspapers as well as in the online media space and is well versed with the functioning of both newsrooms. Amrita has worked in the northeast, Mumbai and Delhi. She has travelled extensively across the country, including in far-flung border areas, to bring detailed reports from the ground and has written investigative reports on media and defence. She has been working for The Indian Express since January 2023. ... Read More
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- CJP Protest
- NEET
- Sonam Wangchuk
Source: Indian Express
