Sonam Wangchuk Removed From Hunger Strike Protest by Police, Shifted to Hospital as Examination Reform Agitation Intensifies

Wangchuk, 59, had been observing an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 at Jantar Mantar, a public site known for its historic 18th-century astronomical instruments. His protest became the focal point of a campaign led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a movement that emerged in May after a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India reportedly compared some unemployed young people to "cockroaches." What began as a wave of satirical online memes quickly evolved into a large-scale public campaign, with hundreds of students and activists gathering at the protest site in support of Wangchuk.

According to a statement issued by a Deputy Commissioner of Police in New Delhi, Wangchuk was shifted to the hospital for essential medical care following orders of the High Court and expert medical advice. Police stated that while implementing the court's directions, protesters attempted to obstruct the operation, resulting in a brief commotion. Authorities appealed to demonstrators at Jantar Mantar to vacate the protest site peacefully at the earliest.

Only hours before he was taken to the hospital, Wangchuk posted a message on X stating that smaller movements had brought down many governments in India and asserted that the present struggle was fundamentally about education.

An engineer by profession, Wangchuk is widely recognized for pioneering water conservation projects in the Himalayan region. His protest has drawn renewed attention to India's national examination system, which has faced intense public criticism over allegations of corruption and administrative failures.

The controversy escalated after approximately 2.2 million aspiring medical students were required to retake the country's annual medical entrance examination under strict security arrangements last month. The original examination conducted in May was cancelled after question papers were leaked. In response, the government temporarily banned the messaging application Telegram in an effort to prevent further leaks.

Disillusionment among young people over government education and employment policies led many supporters to adopt the term "cockroach" as an ironic symbol of protest. According to the movement, its campaign attracted more than 21 million followers on Instagram within a matter of days.

In addition to demanding the resignation of the Education Minister, the movement has called for a complete overhaul of the national examination system and compensation for the families of students who died by suicide.

The Cockroach Janta Party alleged on social media that the government had forcefully abducted Wangchuk without his consent or the consent of his family. At the protest site, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke described the government's action as a grave mistake and announced that he would begin an indefinite hunger strike from Saturday.

Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, stated in a post on X that she was with her husband at Safdarjung Hospital and confirmed that he intended to continue his hunger strike. Addressing reporters, she insisted that no food, medicine, or intravenous treatment should be administered without the consent of Wangchuk, his family, and the doctors who had been monitoring his health throughout the past 20 days.

She said the family appreciated that the government had brought him to the hospital but opposed any compulsory medical treatment. According to her, Wangchuk was physically weak and had lost muscle mass as expected during a prolonged fast, but remained fully alert and mentally strong. She added that the family would decide the next course of action without government interference.

Meanwhile, authorities deployed additional police and paramilitary personnel and erected barricades around both Jantar Mantar and Safdarjung Hospital. Police maintained that the enhanced security arrangements were purely precautionary and urged protesters to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.

Further demonstrations have been scheduled to coincide with the commencement of the Indian Parliament's session on Monday, indicating that the agitation over alleged examination corruption and demands for education reforms is likely to remain at the centre of national attention in the coming days.