15 July,2026 01:19 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
The appeal comes as Wangchuk`s health continues to deteriorate after more than two weeks of fasting. Pic/PTI
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday appealed to climate activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, while urging the Union government to initiate dialogue with the protesters.
In an open letter addressed to the protesters, Tharoor said Parliament's Monsoon Session, beginning next week, would provide an opportunity to raise the concerns of students in the country's highest legislative forum. He also described dialogue between the government and the protesters as an act of statesmanship.
The appeal comes as Wangchuk's health continues to deteriorate after more than two weeks of fasting.
In his letter, Tharoor made a direct appeal to Wangchuk to call off his indefinite fast, saying the protest had already drawn national attention to the issue.
"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," Tharoor said.
"With Parliament in session again from Monday, we will have an opportunity to raise the students' issues in the highest forum of our democracy. That's where the problem should be addressed, not by fasting unto death. Please heed my plea," he said.
Addressing the protesters, Tharoor said he understood the importance of a fair and transparent examination system, recalling his own educational journey.
"My dear young friends, I address you today not as a politician or an MP, but as someone deeply troubled by what is happening to your generation of young Indians. This is personal for me. I was born to a middle-class family: my father was a salaried newspaper employee, my mother a homemaker, with three children to educate on one income," he said.
He said merit-based opportunities had shaped his own career.
"For a family like ours, merit was not a slogan. Scholarships, fair examinations, honest results - these were the only way one salary could carry three children's dreams."
Tharoor added that a transparent examination system remains essential for students from lower- and middle-income families.
"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."
Tharoor also called on the Union government to engage with the protesters instead of allowing the situation to escalate.
In his message to the government, he urged the authorities to initiate discussions with Wangchuk and the protesting students.
"That is not weakness; that is statesmanship," he asserted.
The CJP has been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
Wangchuk joined the protest on June 28 and has remained on an indefinite hunger strike since then. The organisation has also announced a march to Parliament on July 20 and recently unveiled a five-point charter seeking reforms in the examination system.
According to CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, Wangchuk has lost 8.5 kg since beginning the fast and is experiencing muscle loss and "immense pain".
As concerns over Wangchuk's health have grown, leaders from several political parties have urged him to end his fast while asking the government to engage with the protesters.
Among those who have appealed to Wangchuk are Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
Actor Zeenat Aman also called on the government to begin a dialogue with Wangchuk, while actor Omi Vaidya appealed to the public to pay attention to the activist's deteriorating health.
The organisers of the protest maintain that their agitation will continue until their demands regarding alleged irregularities in the NEET examination are addressed.
