'Please end your fast': Vikas Singh, Shashi Tharoor write open letters to Sonam Wangchuk

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President and Senior Advocate Vikas Singh has written an open letter to education activist Sonam Wangchuk, urging him to end his fast and continue his campaign through other means. In the letter, dated July 16, Singh expressed concern for Wangchuk's health while acknowledging his commitment to education reform and the future of the country.

"I am writing this to you out of deep worry, but also with a very clear mind," Singh wrote. Referring to Wangchuk's hunger strike over concerns related to National Eligibility cum Entrance Test , NEET UG, he said the activist is putting his body and life on the line for the future of our children. He concluded his appeal with a direct request: "Please end this fast."

Singh praised Wangchuk's contribution to education and social reform, saying his influence has never come from seeking power or pleading with those in authority. Instead, he credited his work on the ground with transforming the lives of students through innovation, discipline and empathy. Singh described him as someone who creates change through action rather than rhetoric and said his leadership remains invaluable because of his continued engagement in teaching, innovation and community work.

The Cockroach Janta Party has been holding a protest for over 25 days, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. Sonam Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on an indefinite fast since then.

Also read ‘Education system should change’: CJP protests in Hyderabad, Bengaluru over NEET paper leak, CBSE's OSM errors

'Institutional failures, broken systems'

Without naming any individual, Singh said large sections of society continue to suffer because of institutional failures and broken systems. The senior advocate also reflected on what he described as the declining moral responsibility in public life. He argued that political accountability has weakened over the years and that expecting those in power to take responsibility for systemic failures has become increasingly difficult.

Singh urged Wangchuk not to sacrifice his life in protest. He said India needs him alive and actively working for educational reform rather than risking his health through a prolonged fast.

Also read 'Three Attempts, Two Leaks': NEET aspirants open up on repeated uncertainty

Shashi Tharoor pens letter to protestors

In an open letter to the Jantar Mantar protesters , Shashi Tharoor addressed them not as a politician or an MP, but as someone deeply troubled by what was happening to a generation of young Indians.

He studied in schools in Mumbai and Kolkata before attending college in Delhi, where he topped his university and secured admission to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM). However, he chose to pursue his passion for international affairs in the United States on a scholarship. Tharoor said nothing in his journey was inherited and that everything was earned through hard work and examinations.

The letter further reads, "So I know that a fair, merit-based system is the only ladder for young people from lower and middle-income families to climb up. When that ladder is broken — papers leaked, examinations cancelled, trust destroyed — the children of the rich and powerful do not suffer. They have other ladders. It is your dreams, and your families' sacrifices (and tragically, in some homes, young lives themselves) that are betrayed."

Tharoor told protesting students not to lose hope, saying their anger reflected betrayal and that young Indians would help rebuild a fair education system.

Tharoor made a heartfelt appeal to Sonam Wangchuk to end his fast. The letter reads, "To Shri Sonam Wangchuk-ji, my heartfelt appeal: please end your fast . You have awakened the conscience of the nation; that is what a fast is meant to do. India needs your voice for the long road ahead."

As Parliament resumes on July 20, MPs will have the opportunity to highlight students' concerns in the country's highest democratic forum.

Please join me on July 20: Sonam Wangchuk

In a video posted on July 15, Wangchuk said he was not in good shape, "but not so bad either". He appealed to supporters to join the peaceful march to Parliament on July 20 instead of asking him to break his fast.

Recently, Sonam Wangchuk shared a handwritten note from a six-year-old supporter, saying the child's gesture lifted his spirits despite the pain.

Delhi High Court directed authorities to monitor the health of activist Sonam Wangchuk daily and extend medical aid if his condition deteriorates. Asserting that a citizen's life was precious and all medical efforts ought to be made by authorities to save it, a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said Wangchuk's condition should be regularly checked by government doctors.

(With Bar and Bench, PTI inputs)