Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day fast on Monday and visited Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi [1].
Wangchuk, a social activist and environmentalist, used the hunger strike to protest against the NEET examination paper leaks. His action highlights the ongoing struggle for transparency in India's competitive examination system and the use of traditional non-violent protest to demand government accountability.
The activist was discharged from Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon [1] before traveling to the memorial in New Delhi. During his visit to the site, Wangchuk said the philosophy of Gandhi remains enduring in the face of modern socio-political conflicts.
"Bapu's path is still relevant today," Wangchuk said [3].
He expressed gratitude for the guidance provided by the Mahatma's legacy, stating, "Thank you Bapu, for the path you showed..." [4]. The visit served as a symbolic transition from his period of fasting to a renewed call for peaceful resistance.
Wangchuk has long been known for his work in Ladakh and his advocacy for educational reform. By linking his protest against the NEET leaks to the principles of non-violence, he sought to frame the current educational crisis as a moral issue requiring a disciplined, peaceful response.
"Gandhi's path of non-violence remains relevant even after a century," Wangchuk said [5].
“Bapu's path is still relevant today”
Wangchuk's transition from a high-profile hunger strike to a visit at Rajghat underscores a strategic attempt to legitimize contemporary student protests by aligning them with India's historical tradition of Satyagraha. By framing the NEET paper leak scandal as a cause for non-violent resistance, he is attempting to shift the discourse from mere administrative failure to a broader moral imperative for systemic reform.
