Picture of the Week: Holding on (Sonam Wangchuk fast at Jantar Mantar)
Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike at Jantar Mantar became a wider political protest over education-related grievances and public support for his demands.
- Sonam Wangchuk was reported to be on an indefinite hunger strike from June 28, and the protest drew wider political attention over education-related grievances.
- Arvind Kejriwal, Dimple Yadav, K.C. Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, A. Raja, Omar Abdullah, Uddhav Thackeray, and Vikas Singh were reported as expressing support, urging dialogue, or calling for compassion.
What happened
Educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was reported to be on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, from June 28 onwards. The protest was linked to demands for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and to concerns over education-related irregularities.
The protest gained wider political attention after visits and statements from several opposition leaders. The site reportedly saw increased crowds after Arvind Kejriwal visited, while Dimple Yadav urged the Union government to show sensitivity and open dialogue.
UPSC may use this case to test how public protests shape education-policy accountability, how opposition parties frame governance failures, and how peaceful protest raises questions of sensitivity, dialogue, and state response. The issue also offers an ethics lens on public suffering, compassion, and responsible political communication.
