Image credit: Sagarika Ghose by X

New Delhi under the hot Delhi sun, Jantar Mantar has become the Centre of a major protest. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a group led by young people, has been protesting here for over a week. Now, they have been joined by Sonam Wangchuk the famous teacher and environmentalist from Ladakh. He has started a hunger strike to support them. Their main demand is clear: they want the education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, to resign. This comes after major problems and leaks in big exams like Neet, which have left thousands of students feeling cheated.

Why Sonam Wangchuk is protesting

Many people wondered why a man from the mountains of Ladakh is fasting in Delhi. Wangchuk explained it simply to the crowd. He said he has been a teacher for forty years and cares deeply about the future of young people.
“I am not doing this happily; I have been forced to sit here,” Wangchuk said. “No country can grow without good education. India cannot become strong if we hurt the future of our youth.”
The protest started after Wangchuk and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke visited Rajghat to pay their respects to mahatma Gandhi. Since then, it has grown quickly. It is no longer just a student protest. Now, farmer leaders and six more student activists have joined the hunger strike too.

Health updates from the Camp

Fasting in the intense Delhi heat is very difficult. By the third day, doctors reported that Sonam Wangchuk’s blood sugar levels had dropped. He is visibly weaker and moving slower, but he still spends his time talking to and encouraging the students around him.The protestors say they are facing a lot of pressure from the authorities. According to the organizers, basic help is being denied.
  • No water allowed, activists claimed that police at the barricades tried to stop drinking water from coming inside.
  • No toilets the group said they were blocked from bringing in a portable toilet. The students had to protest late into the night just to get permission for basic sanitation.
  •  Helpers Questioned even a local tea vendor who gave free tea to the students was questioned by the police late at night. Despite these struggles, the atmosphere at Jantar Mantar remains peaceful and strong.

Fighting for the future

For the CJP and the students, this fight is about more than just making one minister lose his job. They want to fix a broken system. Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of CJP, said that exam leaks have broken the trust of students across India and even led to tragic student suicides. He stated that making the minister resign is just the first step. The bigger goal is to make sure the government listens to young people and takes responsibility when things go wrong. As night falls, the loud slogans turn into quiet songs. Candles are lit, and doctors check on those who are fasting. Sonam Wangchuk and the young students face another long night, hoping their voices will finally be heard.