NEW DELHI, India: Noted climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk has delivered a firm ultimatum to the Indian government, threatening to launch an indefinite hunger strike from June 28 unless his demands for educational accountability and greater autonomy for Ladakh are met.
In a video message recorded from Geneva, standing outside the United Nations office near the Broken Chair monument, which he described as a global symbol for the struggle for rights, Wangchuk made it clear that he would not remain silent on issues he holds dear to his heart.
Big Announcement ‼️
Sonam Wangchuk ( @Wangchuk66 ) To Start Hunger Strike On 28th June At Jantar Mantar. Sonam appealed to the government show accountability by Saturday, 27th June or he will sit on a hunger strike.
Inquilab Zindabad!! pic.twitter.com/GGkz1vIDRV
— Cockroach is Back (@Cockroachisback) June 25, 2026
“There are two issues that are very close to my heart: education and environment,” Wangchuk said. “In education, we are demanding accountability, and in Ladakh, for the protection of culture, environment, and the restoration of democracy, we are seeking the same accountability.”
He added that if even one of his demands is addressed by June 27, he would withdraw his hunger strike plan. Otherwise, he would join the ongoing protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and begin an indefinite fast from Saturday night.
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Wangchuk rallies behind students’ protest over exam irregularities
Wangchuk has openly supported the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, which has been holding protests at Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET-UG paper leak. The CJP has been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, citing repeated failures in the examination system.
The activist appeared at the group’s first protest on June 6 and has participated in several demonstrations since. At a Bengaluru protest, he was joined by actor Prakash Raj, amplifying the call for accountability.
The CJP’s agitation has drawn support from various student and activist groups, with protesters sending postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and continuing round-the-clock demonstrations. At least 17 students have reportedly died by suicide in connection with the NEET paper leak issue, intensifying calls for justice.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has maintained that the protest would continue until their demands are met, even as the group’s X (formerly Twitter) account was blocked under Section 69A of the IT Act, a matter currently before the Delhi High Court.
CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke is saying that if the Education Minister does not resign, then from June 28, Sonam Wangchuk will join the protest and begin an indefinite hunger strike. He says the hunger strike will continue until the Education Minister resigns.
Abhijeet Dipke is also… pic.twitter.com/MGz51cgLbn
— Saffron Chargers (@SaffronChargers) June 25, 2026
Ladakh’s long-standing demand for constitutional safeguards
Wangchuk has also raised concerns over Ladakh’s governance, alleging that promises regarding greater autonomy, cultural protection, and environmental safeguards have not been fulfilled.
Local bodies in Ladakh, including the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), have been jointly agitating for statehood and the extension of constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule. Wangchuk has been a vocal advocate for these demands, having been arrested under the National Security Act following protests in September 2024 and released after nearly six months.
A history of hunger strikes and protests
Wangchuk had previously warned that any crackdown on protest organizers could trigger a prolonged hunger strike. In earlier statements, he said he was prepared for a 42-day fast if required.
“If for any reason they are arrested tomorrow, then I will be compelled to take a step that I do not wish to take,” Wangchuk had said earlier this month. “I will begin an indefinite hunger strike from tomorrow itself, and this time it will last six weeks, or 42 days. I am prepared to do that.”
🚨 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
Sonam Wangchuk has given the government a deadline.
📍 If accountability is not shown by 27 June, he will begin an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on 28 June.
When institutions fail, citizens are forced to raise their voices.
Inquilab… pic.twitter.com/dbc38T9eAl
— CJP Updates (@CJP_is_back) June 25, 2026
What happens next?
With the June 27 deadline fast approaching, all eyes are now on the government’s response. Wangchuk has made it clear that he intends to join the protest at Jantar Mantar from June 28 if his demands are not met.
“I will meet you all on Sunday,” he said in his video message, signaling his resolve to take his protest to the streets of Delhi if the government fails to act.
