Hundreds of people, most of them students, gathered at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Sunday to back climate and education activist Sonam Wangchuk, linking his ongoing hunger strike with demands for accountability 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) has been staging an agitation over alleged failures in the conduct of the national medical entrance examination. The Bengaluru gathering came a day after police removed Wangchuk from the protest site and shifted him to a government hospital during the 21st day of his indefinite fast.
Actor Kishore joined the demonstration and urged people to be more discerning while exercising their right to vote, arguing that public participation was central to preserving democratic institutions. “Democracy doesn’t die because of dictators but because of unresponsive citizens. Government arrogance comes because we vote blindly,” he told the gathering.
Asked whether Wangchuk’s removal could strengthen the campaign, Kishore said the action could widen public participation even though it was damaging for democratic practice. “It is not good for democracy. But it is good for the whole movement, which can now attract more people and, in turn, strengthen the demand for accountability,” he said.
He also expressed confidence that the agitation would continue to gather support. “They have kept the agitation alive, and the support has increased eventually. As long as the movement is alive and the questioning sustains, more people will join,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}He also expressed confidence that the agitation would continue to gather support. “They have kept the agitation alive, and the support has increased eventually. As long as the movement is alive and the questioning sustains, more people will join,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Among those attending the protest was 21 year old college student Aditi Sharma, who said Wangchuk’s removal had raised broader concerns for 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.
Sharma said young people closely followed public affairs and expected governments to remain answerable to citizens, adding that authorities should not mistake their age for indifference or ignorance.
Meghana Rao, a 20 year old undergraduate student, said the demand for accountability extended far beyond the NEET controversy. “Students have paid the price for a system that has repeatedly failed them, yet those responsible are still not being held accountable. The same silence has greeted many other protests across the country,” she said.