Sonam Wangchuk in Geneva, Switzerland (Image courtesy: X)
NEW DELHI: Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday said the government has two more days to accept at least one of his two demands — fixing accountability in the NEET paper leak case and addressing environmental and cultural issues concerning his native Ladakh — failing which he will begin an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar from the following day.In a video posted on X, Wangchuk was seen outside the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, during his ongoing visit. The educator and environmentalist described it as the “Jantar Mantar of Geneva” — a reference to Delhi’s designated protest site.”Greetings From Palais de Nations Geneva… This is the Jantar Mantar of Geneva where all people can gather and demonstrate. Education & Environment are my two causes and I hope at least one of them would be resolved during this week,” Wangchuk wrote in the post accompanying the video. He first raised the demands while addressing protesters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online satirical platform that has evolved into a youth movement and is currently holding a demonstration at Jantar Mantar seeking the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.”If I do not receive a response by Saturday, I will sit on a hunger strike with all of you,” Wangchuk told the protesters.He also argued that citizens should have a say in decisions affecting education, while the people of Ladakh must be consulted on matters related to environmental protection and the preservation of their cultural heritage. CJP, which was launched last month in response to remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a court hearing, held its first protest at Jantar Mantar over the NEET issue on June 6. It subsequently organised demonstrations in several cities before beginning its second Delhi protest last Sunday, co-inciding with the NEET re-exam.Although protests at Jantar Mantar are not permitted beyond 5 pm, the demonstrators have continued their sit-in, vowing not to leave until Pradhan resigns or is removed from office by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.More than 22 lakh students appeared for NEET (UG), the national medical entrance examination, on May 3. The exam was subsequently cancelled on May 12.
