Activist Sonam Wangchuk has finally agreed to end his hunger strike, which lasted for over 20 days. However, he has listed three conditions that must be fulfilled.
In a handwritten letter shared at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, Wangchuk described his situation as "illegal detention".
His first condition is that the government takes accountability for the alleged "failures" in the education system, especially the recent NEET question paper leaks.
The second condition is if political leaders assure him that the paper leak issue will be raised in the Parliament.
The third demand, Wangchuk said, is that top political leaders must visit him at the hospital and give assurance of the other two conditions- if his health and other factors do not allow him to be part of the Parliament march that is to be held on Monday.
He further stated in the letter that his "freedom of movement, speech, and all communication are restricted due to illegal detention."
This is not the first time the activist has resorted to such measures; Wangchuk has previously led several protests and hunger strikes over regional issues concerning Ladakh and education reform.
He joined the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)'s protest at Jantar Mantar on June 28, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leaks, and began an indefinite hunger strike.
Why education minister's resignation won't materialise?
However, as per the current situation, the Education Minister's resignation faces steep structural hurdles. The major reason being the present ruling dispensation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi that rarely concedes to resignation demands fueled by street agitations or opposition pressure.
Also, the Ministry of Education has actively worked to showcase that it is fixing the issue structurally, effectively blunting the narrative of complete stagnation.
Delhi Police removed him from the protest site on July 18 and shifted him to Safdarjung Hospital, citing the High Court order expressing concerns over his health. Delhi Police's action came a day after doctors described Wangchuk's condition as an emergency with a fear of his organs shutting down.
After being shifted to the hospital, Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, had approached the Delhi HC on Sunday seeking to move him to a private hospital.
The court refused an interim relief on her request and noted that the government was "well within its rights" to shift him to the Safdarjung Hospital.
"Since doctors of the hospital are closely monitoring him and gave him oral medicine with his consent, it cannot be said that force is being used or his autonomy is being violated...No interim orders are required to be passed at this stage," Justice Mini Pushkarna said.
Angmo had previously asked the medical team at Safdarjung Hospital not to administer any oral or intravenous drugs without the prior consent of her family or herself.
