Activist Sonam Wangchuk was discharged on Monday from Medanta Hospital, Gurugram, where he was admitted for medical attention after undertaking a 26-day hunger strike in support of the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest against paper leaks.
Soon after being discharged from the hospital, Wangchuk went to Rajghat to offer his tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
His wife Gitanjali Angmo also accompanied him during the visit. In a video released from the hospital, Wangchuk said he will return to Ladakh, his hometown, after his Rajghat visit.
Speaking to mediapersons after Rajghat visit, Wangchuk said that the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is “just the beginning.”
“If the issue is acknowledged and addressed from this point onward, our country will become a better place, a process that, in my view, is already underway. Discussions are currently ongoing, and I hope that, through a very positive dialogue, the most suitable course of action for the country will be adopted, allowing us to implement an excellent system through mutual goodwill…,” he said.
He expressed optimism over the Public Examinations Amendment Bill introduced by the government, saying, “That is a good thing. Let there be a discussion, and let the appropriate measures be adopted after thorough deliberation.”
He further reiterated that there should be no action against peaceful protestors but maintained that the government’s assurance may not apply to “mischievous elements” who acted with “malicious intent.”
“No action should be taken against those who are protesting peacefully. If mischievous elements are acting with malicious intent, we cannot say that absolutely nothing will happen. However, I want to make it very clear that peaceful protest is our constitutional right, and it must be respected. As for the rest, the law will take its own course…,” he added.
The climate activist was forcibly removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site by Delhi Police after 20 days of his strike and shifted to Safdarjung Hospital and was later transferred to Medanta Hospital.
However, he didn’t break his fast until the government accepted his demands – a Parliament discussion on paper leaks, compensation for NEET paper leak-linked suicide victims, and withdrawal of legal proceedings against protesters.
He left the demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which continued its protest until July 25.
As the protest continued and spread to several other parts of the country, Pradhan was forced to tender his resignation.
The government met the CJP delegation, accepted all its demands, including withdrawal of FIRs against protesters.
Following this, the CJP called off its strike, asking protesters to vacate Jantar Mantar and return to their homes peacefully.
Experts believe it was Wangchuk’s hunger strike that helped the CJP protest turn into a larger student movement against the government, ultimately resulting in Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and forcing the government to introduce a paper leak bill in Parliament.