India activist ends hunger strike after 26 days

What the report says

BBC World News reports that Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended a 26-day hunger strike that he began in support of youth-led protesters calling for education reforms. Wangchuk, 59, announced the decision in a post on X, saying it followed extended negotiations over several conditions and that he wanted to help prevent “possible violence” in the country.

According to the BBC, Wangchuk — widely known by supporters as “Sonam sir” — had aligned himself with protesters associated with the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP. The group is demanding changes in education policy and the resignation of India’s education minister. The BBC said one of Wangchuk’s stated conditions for ending the fast was an assurance from authorities that force would not be used against demonstrators.

The report said Wangchuk had earlier stated that he had lost 11kg during the strike while noting he remained alive. It also said he was forcibly removed from a protest site in Delhi last Saturday and taken to hospital. The BBC described the article as a developing breaking news story, with further details expected.

The end of the fast matters because it may reduce immediate tensions around the protest movement while leaving the broader education demands unresolved. Based on the BBC’s account, Wangchuk’s decision appears tied both to negotiations with authorities and concern that continued confrontation could escalate.