Hundreds of people, mostly students, gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Sunday to support climate and education activist Sonam Wangchuk, linking his ongoing hunger strike to accountability demands over the NEET paper leak and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The demonstration was held in solidarity with the protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had organized a protest campaign over alleged failures in the conduct of the National Medical Entrance Examination. The Bengaluru rally came a day after police removed Wangchuk from the protest site and transferred him to a government hospital during the 21st day of his indefinite fast.
Actor Kishore joined the demonstration and urged people to be wiser while exercising their right to vote, arguing that public participation is key to maintaining democratic institutions. He told the audience: “Democracy does not die because of tyrants, but because of the lack of response from citizens. The government’s arrogance comes because we vote blindly.”
Asked whether Wangchuk’s removal could boost the campaign, Kishor said the measure could expand public participation even though it harms democratic practices. “This is not in the interest of democracy,” he said. “But it is in the interest of the entire movement, which can now attract more people and thus strengthen the demand for accountability.”
He also expressed confidence that the agitation will continue to garner support. “They kept the agitation alive, and support eventually increased. As long as the movement is alive and the questioning continues, more people will join it,” he added.
Among those who attended the protest was 21-year-old university student Aditi Sharma, who said Wangchuk’s dismissal raised broader concerns among young people seeking to engage in public life. “If someone like Wangchuk, who speaks peacefully for people and the environment, can be treated this way, what hope is there for young citizens who want to raise their voices?” She said.
Youth closely follow public affairs and expect governments to remain accountable to citizens, Sharma said, adding that authorities should not mistake their age for indifference or ignorance.
Meghana Rao, a 20-year-old college student, said the demand for accountability extended beyond the debate over NEET. “Students have paid the price for a system that has failed them time and time again, yet those responsible have not been held accountable,” she said. “The same silence has been met with many other protests across the country.”
