Congress MP Shashi Tharoor issued an open letter on Wednesday addressed to protestors at Jantar Mantar. He appealed to activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his hunger strike. He also urged the central government to begin talks with agitating students.
Background of the protest
The demonstrations began after alleged irregularities surfaced in the NEET 2026 examination. Reports pointed to paper leaks in May that affected a large number of aspirants across the country. The Cockroach Janta Party, a group led largely by young people, has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since then. The organisation is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Wangchuk, an engineer known for inspiring a character in the film ‘3 Idiots’, joined the protest on June 28. He began an indefinite fast that day in support of the students. As of Wednesday, his strike had crossed the two-week mark. Reports say he has lost close to 8.5 kilograms and his health has declined sharply. Some student protestors have also required hospital treatment during the agitation.
What Tharoor wrote
An Open Letter to the Jantar Mantar protestors:
My dear young friends,
I address you today not as a politician or an MP, but as someone deeply troubled by what is happening to your generation of young Indians.
This is personal for me. I was born to a middle-class family: my…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 15, 2026
In his letter, Tharoor described the protest as personal. He recalled growing up in a middle-class household where his father worked at a newspaper and his mother managed the home. Also, he said scholarships and honest results were the only way one income could carry three children’s dreams.
He wrote that a broken system does not hurt the rich, since “the children of the rich and powerful do not suffer.” He said it is the dreams of ordinary families that get betrayed instead.
Tharoor told the protestors their anger reflects genuine hurt, not disorder. He wrote that their generation is not a problem to be managed, but the answer to India’s future.
Direct appeal to Wangchuk
Tharoor specifically asked Wangchuk to call off his fast. He wrote, “Please end your fast. You have awakened the conscience of the nation; that is what a fast is meant to do.”
He pointed to the resumption of Parliament session from Monday as the right platform to raise student grievances, saying that is where the problem should be addressed, not through fasting unto death.
Tharoor also addressed the ruling establishment directly. He called on officials to open a dialogue with the protestors, describing such a step as an act of statesmanship rather than weakness.
Wider response
Tharoor is not alone in urging Wangchuk to stop his fast. Leaders from opposition parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party and the Samajwadi Party, have made similar appeals. Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav also posted a message on social media urging Wangchuk to preserve his life, citing his long record of work in education and environmental causes.
Separately, a petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court asking authorities to force-feed Wangchuk given concerns over his deteriorating condition. The plea warns that continued fasting could prove fatal within days.
The government, including Minister Pradhan’s office, has not issued a public response to the renewed calls for dialogue so far.