Sonam Wangchuk ends 26-day hunger strike as Indian government opens talks with youth protesters

NEW DELHI: Activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike overnight as leaders of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) prepared to hold talks with the Indian government on Friday in an effort to resolve the nationwide examination paper leak crisis.

The decision was announced hours after Wangchuk concluded his fast, raising hopes of a possible breakthrough in the standoff that has seen tens of thousands of young protesters gather in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of the education minister over the scandal.

The protests have emerged as the biggest youth-led challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government since it came to power in 2014. Opposition parties have backed the movement’s demands and disrupted the ongoing monsoon session of parliament.

Talks between government ministers and CJP representatives are scheduled to take place at a neutral venue, according to the movement’s spokesperson, Saurav Das.

“We hope that the government comes with an open mind and it will listen to the people of this country who have been out on the roads for so long,” Das said. “We will explain our demands to them in greater detail, and we hope the government will listen to us.”

Despite the negotiations, Das said nationwide demonstrations would continue.

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“We are not backing out. Real awakening starts from the grassroots, and that is what we really need,” he added.

The movement, which began as an online satire with only a few hundred participants, has rapidly expanded with the support of millions of followers on social media, catching the government by surprise.

Earlier this week, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched towards parliament despite restrictions and clashed with police, who used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowds. Fresh violence was also reported on Wednesday night when more than 10,000 protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi.

Analysts say the movement reflects growing frustration among young Indians over unemployment and repeated examination paper leaks, urging the government to address the underlying issues rather than relying solely on law enforcement measures.

Authorities closed 16 metro stations, suspended mobile internet services and restricted business activity in central Delhi on Thursday in an attempt to contain the demonstrations, disrupting daily life for thousands of commuters. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation announced that 17 stations would remain closed again from Friday morning until further notice.

Prime Minister Modi said the federal cabinet would consider draft legislation on Friday aimed at strengthening punishments for those responsible for examination paper leaks before presenting it to parliament.

However, protest leaders rejected the proposal, arguing that the priority should be comprehensive reforms to the examination system to prevent future leaks rather than imposing harsher penalties after the fact.

Wangchuk is also expected to release a video statement explaining the outcome of his discussions with two government ministers, in whose presence he ended his hunger strike.