India activist ends hunger strike after 26 days

India activist ends hunger strike after 26 daysImage source, Sonam Wangchuk / XImage caption, The activist had set a number of conditions for ending the strike including a pledge by the authorities not to use force against protestersByJaroslav LukivPublished23 July 2026India's activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended a hunger strike after 26 days of fasting in support of youth-led protesters demanding education reforms. In a post on X, Wangchuk - better known as "Sonam sir" - said he did so "after a long negotiation on various conditions" and also to avert "possible violence in the country". Wangchuk, 59, went on strike to support the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), whose members also demand the resignation of India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The activist earlier said he had lost 11kg (24lb) but was "still alive". He was forcibly removed from a protest venue in Delhi last Saturday and taken to hospital.Why are thousands protesting for education reform in India?Published17 hours agoThe hunger-striking engineer demanding education reforms in IndiaPublished3 days agoWangchuk, a well-known name in India, ended his hunger strike after the government assured him no legal action would be taken against protesters rallying at Janta Mantar site, India's NDTV website reported.India's state and health ministers had visited Wangchuk in hospital.Reacting to Wangchuk's decision to end his hunger strike, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke wrote in a post on X: "We are relieved and grateful that Sonam sir has ended his hunger strike after 26 days."But he added: "The Cockroach Janta Party's peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar will continue until [Education Minister] Dharmendra Pradhan resigns."Mass protests have not stopped in the Indian capital, after the brutal police crackdown on Monday's march to parliament, which left scores of protesters and officers injured.The CJP is now one of India'...