SRINAGAR: Climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk has described the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as a “victory of democracy”, saying the focus should now shift from demanding accountability to pursuing reforms in the education system.
In his first public reaction after Pradhan stepped down, Wangchuk posted on X from his hospital bed, sharing a photograph in which he flashed a victory sign.
“Direct democracy… straight from the streets. It’s a victory of peace, patience and perseverance,” he wrote.
Wangchuk had joined the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest on June 28, beginning a hunger strike to press for Pradhan’s resignation and reforms in the education sector following the NEET paper leak controversy.
He ended his 26-day fast on Thursday night after the government assured protesters that Parliament would discuss the NEET paper leak, that no legal action would be taken against protesting students, and that families of students who died by suicide following the controversy would receive compensation.
In his post, Wangchuk congratulated the Cockroach Janta Party and the country’s Gen-Z protesters for leading the movement for more than a month. He also thanked citizens for, as he put it, “shedding fear… and rising up from every corner of the nation.”
He said that with Pradhan’s resignation, the campaign would now move beyond seeking accountability and concentrate on reforms.
Pradhan announced his resignation as Union Education Minister hours before the third round of talks between the government and the Cockroach Janta Party. In a two-page statement posted on X, he said he had been “saddened” by the events of the past ten days.
