New Delhi: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Sunday began an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in support of the ongoing protest by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical political movement, for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) paper leak.Before joining the protest and commencing his indefinite hunger strike, Wangchuk, along with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, visited Rajghat and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)The 59-year-old educationist was joined by the six members of the Left-affiliated All India Students’ Association (AISA), including the organisation’s president, Neha, and Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union joint secretary Danish Ali. Their other demand is the scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA) – an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education tasked with conducting entrance examinations.CJP launched an indefinite protest at Jantar Mantar on June 20, following a day-long agitation on June 6 at the same site, demanding Pradhan’s resignation and broader education reforms.Before joining the protest and commencing his indefinite hunger strike, Wangchuk, along with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, visited Rajghat and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.Addressing the protesters, Wangchuk said the Indian education system requires a course correction, and Pradhan’s resignation would mark the first step in that direction.“No developed nation has achieved progress without investing in quality education. Similarly, India cannot become a Viksit Bharat (developed India) without strengthening its education system. The issues that have emerged recently indicate that this government is working against the interests of education. Our movement seeks a course correction in the education system, and the education minister’s resignation is the first step toward achieving that,” said Wangchuk.The protest also drew participation from several farmers and members of khap panchayats from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. “This government serves corporate interests. We saw its intentions when it introduced the farm laws, and what is happening in education today reflects the same push towards corporatisation. We are not here for CJP; we are here to stand with the issues they are raising,” Om Prakash Dhankar, Sarva Khap Panchayat convener, told HT.“About 30 vehicles ferrying farmers were on their way to join the protest but were stopped by the police at the Delhi border. This is only the first day of the farmers’ participation in the agitation. More of us will be joining the protest in the coming days,” he alleged..