A Fast Unto Death: Why Is Sonam Wangchuk At The Forefront Of CJP Protest?

“I am neither (Mahatma) Gandhi nor a hero. I am just an ordinary citizen who has tried to fulfil his responsibilities.”

These words echo through Jantar Mantar as Sonam Wangchuk continues his indefinite hunger strike, having lost nearly eight kilograms since beginning his fast 17 days ago.

The impact on his health is increasingly visible. Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke said the acclaimed educator and activist is “losing muscle mass” and is in “constant pain”.

Several political leaders, including Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav and TMC MP Mahua Moitra, have urged Wangchuk to “break the fast”, citing the government’s alleged neglect of the protest and the demands raised by him and the CJP.

Wangchuk, however, remains steadfast in continuing his fight.

“I'm weak from the outside, but I'm strong from inside,” he told reporters on Monday.

Key Demands

The CJP protest is centred on two primary demands. Protesters are seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging that the Centre failed to prevent examination irregularities and paper leaks.

They are also demanding ₹1 crore in compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide after being affected by examination-related controversies.

The agitation maintains that accountability must extend beyond administrative reforms and include political responsibility for repeated failures in the examination system.

Sonam Wangchuk’s Role

Although the CJP launched its protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 20, Wangchuk became its most recognisable face after joining the agitation on June 28 and beginning an indefinite hunger strike.

Before reaching Jantar Mantar, Wangchuk and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke visited Rajghat, invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of peaceful resistance before starting the fast.

Since then, Wangchuk has described his participation as part of a citizens’ movement rather than a political campaign. In an interview with The Indian Express, he said the protest had “no political colour” and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to engage with the protesters through dialogue.

His involvement has significantly expanded the movement’s visibility beyond the CJP’s largely youth-driven social media support base.

Wangchuk’s Long History Of Peaceful Protest

Sonam Wangchuk is an engineer, education reformer, innovator and climate activist from Ladakh. He is the founding director of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) and is internationally recognised for developing the Ice Stupa artificial glacier technology to address water scarcity in the Himalayan region.

Over the past few years, Wangchuk has emerged as one of the leading voices demanding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh after the region became a Union Territory in 2019.

His campaign has sought statehood for Ladakh, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, protection of local land and jobs, and stronger environmental safeguards for the ecologically fragile Himalayan region.

His protests have consistently relied on Gandhian methods of non-violent resistance.

In 2023, Wangchuk observed a five-day climate fast to draw attention to environmental concerns in Ladakh. The following year, he undertook a 21-day hunger strike, arguing that unchecked industrialisation and mining threatened the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.

Later in 2024, he led the nearly 1,000-km ‘Delhi Chalo Padayatra’ from Ladakh to Delhi to press the Centre for constitutional safeguards. He and several supporters were detained by Delhi Police before entering the capital.

His most significant confrontation with the authorities came in September 2025, when he launched another indefinite fast after talks with the Centre failed to resolve Ladakh’s demands.

Following violence during protests in Leh on September 24, which left four civilians dead and several others injured, Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act and shifted to Jodhpur Central Jail.

After spending about 170 days in preventive detention, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs revoked the detention order, leading to his release on March 14, 2026.

Awards, Accolades And A Bollywood Connection

His work has received numerous honours, including the Rolex Award for Enterprise (2016), the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture (2017) and the Ramon Magsaysay Award (2018), often regarded as Asia's highest civilian honour.

 Wangchuk also inspired the fictional character Phunsukh Wangdu, portrayed by Aamir Khan in the 2009 film 3 Idiots. While the film was primarily adapted from Chetan Bhagat's novel Five Point Someone, the character's philosophy of innovation, practical learning and life in Ladakh drew inspiration from Wangchuk's work with SECMOL.

Actor Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur Ramalingam, or "Silencer", shared a video on his Instagram handle where he urged people to pay attention to Wangchuk's deteriorating health and the issues he is protesting over.

 Vaidya shared the video where he said, "I don't want Phunsukh Wangdu to die. Hello idiots, pehchana? This is Omi Vaidya, Chatur from 3 Idiots and Sadiq from The Office, and I have an important message for you. I don't really do this very often, so please listen up."

 Vaidya urged people to amplify Wangchuk's message and ensure his peaceful protest receives the attention it deserves. Stressing the activist's contribution to society, he urged people not to remain silent while Wangchuk's health continues to get worsened. "We cannot lose someone who has dedicated his life to education, innovation and the future of our country," Vaidya said.

 Along with Omi Vaidya, actors Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah and Abhay Deol also expressed their solidarity with Wangchuk.  

The Central government has not issued any response to the protest. Wangchuk has reiterated that he will continue his fast until the protesters’ concerns are addressed. With his health deteriorating and public attention growing, the coming days could prove crucial for the future of the agitation.