SCBA President Vikas Singh Appeals to Sonam Wangchuk to End Hunger Strike

New Delhi: Senior Advocate and President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Vikas Singh has issued a public appeal urging climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk to end his indefinite hunger strike, in a letter dated 16th July 2026 shared on social media. 

The appeal comes as Wangchuk, on the 19th day of his fast at Jantar Mantar, continues to press for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, a protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party.

In the letter, addressed to Wangchuk at his official and personal email addresses, Singh, who has also served as Additional Solicitor General of India, said he was writing out of deep worry but with a clear mind about the state of affairs, and made a direct plea to Wangchuk to end his fast.

“I see you sitting there, putting your body and your life on the line for the future of our children, for the NEET concern, and for the soul of our country. Even then, I am writing to sincerely request you, with everything I have: PLEASE END THIS FAST.”

In the letter, he emphasised that Wangchuk's strength had always come from his actions rather than from appealing to those in authority. He cited Wangchuk's work with students who had been dismissed by others, saying he had empowered them to realise their potential through discipline, innovation, and empathy.

He went on to observe that the era of leaders and ministers accepting moral responsibility and stepping down over failures gravely affecting citizens' lives has passed, and that this made it more troubling that a person of Wangchuk's integrity was willing to risk his own life while those in power remained unmoved. He linked this to what he described as a broader decline in the moral fibre of contemporary politics, evidenced by the increasing number of individuals facing serious criminal cases being elected as Members of Parliament.

“India does not need you to die for a broken system. We need you to be alive, working, and leading us from the front. Shaking the conscience of this country is a very long journey, and it requires time, which means it requires you to be here with us.”

Further, he also added that governments and politicians would come and go and eventually be forgotten, but that the work Wangchuk does with his own hands would outlast them all, asserting that change begins with everyone quietly serving the nation in their own respective fields. He said Wangchuk had already stirred the nation and awakened its conscience through the fast, and that it was only because of this that he, describing himself as an apolitical person, was moved to make the appeal.

“Your strength has never come from begging people in power, or being at their mercy… You are unstoppable when you are on the ground, creating, teaching, and building.”

He asked Wangchuk to preserve his strength for the long road ahead, end the fast, and return to the work he is best at, adding that he would convey the request through the media and would also travel to Jantar Mantar to present his plea in person.

Wangchuk's fast, now in its 19th day, has drawn appeals from several political leaders and public figures, including, to call off the protest. The Delhi High Court, while hearing a plea seeking medical intervention for Wangchuk, has directed the Centre to ensure his health is monitored daily by government doctors, with a Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observing that the life of every citizen is precious. Wangchuk, in turn, has declined to end the fast, instead calling on supporters to join a march to Parliament planned for 20th July.