Wangchuk ends swiftly, government-CJP talks ahead

Even as the Indian government and protest organizers are set to meet for talks, authorities are tightening security in central Delhi, where both the Indian Parliament and the youth protest site are located.

New Delhi Metro Rail Corporation announced that 17 nearby metro stations will remain closed till further notice on Friday morning. Not only students and protesters, but also office goers rely on the fast Delhi Metro for their daily commute.

Thousands of people who reached the protest site are being closely monitored.

News outlet Indian Express reported that Delhi Police was using two highly equipped surveillance vans to keep a 360-degree eye on the protest site and the protesters. According to the report, a senior Delhi Police official said that they are using live facial recognition to identify any known criminals.

Fearing unfair action, many protesters are covering their faces with regular and sometimes superhero masks.

Protests are not limited to the streets: Inside the Indian Parliament, opposition parties continue to protest over the NEET paper leak issue for the fifth day.

Due to the disruption, both the upper and lower houses of Parliament have been adjourned till noon.

Yesterday, leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said they were willing to discuss the issue in Parliament. However, opposition leaders are demanding that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan be dismissed before any discussion.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk ended her week-long hunger strike on the assurance that the government will discuss the paper leak issue on the floor of Parliament.

Some of the main demands made by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) are as follows:

• Resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
• Rs 1 crore (about €91,000 or $104,000) compensation to families of students who committed suicide due to NEET-UG exam paper leak
• All legal action against peaceful protesters should be withdrawn

While the Kokrok Janata Party has also talked about demands for educational reforms and dealing with paper leaks, the above three are their main demands which are sure to be presented before the Union Ministers of India.

The Indian activist said on his X account on Thursday that Sonam Wangchuk has ended her hunger strike after 26 days.

The 59-year-old man had been on a hunger strike since June 28 to show solidarity with India’s youth-led “Cockroach” movement.

“Just now, I finally broke my fast after 26 days in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Dr Jitendra Singh and senior leaders of the apex body of Leh and Ladakh,” Wangchuk wrote.

In another post from the hospital on Friday morning, Wangchuk wrote that he ended his fast “after receiving assurance from the government and Members of Parliament from all political parties that the issue of accountability in the failed examination system will be discussed on the floor of the Indian Parliament.”

They were told that adequate compensation would be given to the families of students who committed suicide after the National Medical Entrance Examination paper was leaked.

In Wangchuk’s words, he was also assured that “no cases will be registered against the students and youth who protested peacefully.”

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Leaders of India’s youth-led Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) will meet some Indian government ministers on Friday in an attempt to resolve the political confrontation on the streets of the country over the national exams paper leak.

CJP founder Abhijit Dubike and his two appointed spokespersons are likely to attend the meeting to be held at 12:30 pm IST (0700 GMT) at the Constitution Club.

The club is about 2.4 kilometers (1.4 mi) from the historic protest site of Jantar Mantar, where hundreds of students and CJP supporters have been protesting for more than a month.

India’s Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda had earlier offered to hold talks with the CJP at his residence or office. But CJP leaders refused, demanding to meet on a neutral basis. The decision to hold the meeting at the Constitution Club came hours after activist Sonam Wangchuk ended her 26-day hunger strike.

The meeting has raised hopes that after several days of unrest the distance between the government and the angry youth may be closed.

“We hope that the government will come with an open mind and that it will listen to the people of this country who are outside
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said, “Roads for so long. We will tell them about our demands in detail.” And we hope the government will listen to us,” he told reporters overnight.

The CJP had earlier called for a “nationwide” protest on Friday, July 24, asking students and supporters across the country to take to the streets.

hello! And welcome to DW’s India blog.

I’m Mahima Kapoor reporting from the New Delhi bureau and I’ll be your guide during the massive student protests across the country, the latest updates and other important headlines.

There was rain and strong winds in Delhi, there was also a possibility of storm. But the political atmosphere in the capital is still stormy as pressure from protesters and the opposition keeps the government on the defensive.

Two things happened around midnight. First, activist Sonam Wangchuk ended her 26-day hunger strike from the hospital after receiving assurances that the recurring problem of exam paper leaks would be discussed in Parliament.

Second, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a low-key video of himself – in true Gen Z style – appealing to the public that his government was taking several steps to address the “painful” paper leak issue.

As of today, Modi cabinet ministers have agreed to meet leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party at a neutral ground close to the protest site to discuss their demands and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Meanwhile, protesters across India are demonstrating against the government and demanding accountability over what they call a failing education system. In Delhi, security has been significantly tightened and protesters on the ground fear another crackdown.

Tune in for all this and more.