New Delhi | Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Saturday welcomed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as "a victory of democracy", but stressed that "accountability" must now be followed by reforms in education and governance.
He also urged the Centre to fulfil its commitments on Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
In a video statement issued after Pradhan stepped down, Wangchuk said the resignation marked the success of a peaceful democratic movement but cautioned that "resignation alone does not make a nation."
"I welcome the decision taken by the government and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on his resignation. It shows sensitivity on the part of the government. It is a victory of democracy, and we should all cherish it," he said.
Declaring that the agitation has entered a new phase, Wangchuk said, "There has been accountability. Now it is time for reforms in education so that we have a robust system that makes us a great nation."
"Resignation alone does not make a nation," he said, adding that no child or family should have to undergo the ordeal faced by students affected by the alleged NEET paper leak.
Broadening his appeal beyond education, the environmentalist said he hoped that the government would usher in governance reforms.
"We should have a fear-free India, an injustice-free India and a corruption-free India," he said, adding that justice must prevail "whether it is in examinations, elections, the corridors of power or the courts of India."
He said governance should be based on "love for citizens, not fear."
Referring to his long-running campaign for Ladakh, Wangchuk said he hoped the process of democratic restoration in the Union Territory would now be pursued "with utmost sincerity" and expressed the hope that the Centre would also fulfil its promise of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Congratulating Gen-Z, members of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and citizens who participated in the protests, Wangchuk credited the movement's peaceful nature for its success.
"The power of democracy comes from peace, not from arms," he said, urging supporters to celebrate the victory with humility and "do or say nothing that hurts others."
Separately, Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali J Angmo, in a post on X, praised the country's youth, saying they had shown "what it truly means to be a Vishwaguru."
"They have lived Sanatan Dharma, not preached it. Courage without hate. Strength without violence. Patriotism without blind obedience," she said, adding that Indian students had demonstrated one could fight injustice "without burning your own country down."
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke also paid tribute to Wangchuk in an X post, saying that his "Gandhian satyagraha awakened an entire nation."
"Fasting for 26 days for the youth of this country was a pure and supreme sacrifice. It will go down in history as the moral force that united us all against impossible odds," Dipke said, thanking Wangchuk for his contribution to the movement.
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union education minister on Saturday following weeks of CJP-led nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the government's handling of the issue. The movement, spearheaded by CJP, had consistently demanded Pradhan's resignation along with sweeping reforms in the examination system.
