{"id":2093,"date":"2026-08-05T19:30:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T19:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2093"},"modified":"2026-08-05T19:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T19:30:11","slug":"youth-protests-have-weakened-modi-indian-activist-who-went-on-hunger-strike-tells-bbc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2093","title":{"rendered":"Youth protests have weakened Modi, Indian activist who went on hunger strike tells BBC"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div data-block=\"headline\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\"><\/div>\n<div data-block=\"media\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\">\n<div data-chromatic=\"ignore\" class=\"ssrcss-dtyrnv-MediaPlayerWrapper e1h75hkw2\">\n<div data-testid=\"media-player-container-landscape\" class=\"ssrcss-78d3mz-MediaContainer e1h75hkw1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-199fzb3-MediaInner e1h75hkw0\">\n<div data-testid=\"bbc-logo-wrapper\" class=\"ssrcss-1tlcek-LogoIconWrapper eaj4kwa0\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1553su4-ErrorMessage eitf6465\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-h7lv7m-StyledInnerContainer eitf6464\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nbxsk2-TextContent eitf6461\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">This video can not be played<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Figure caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Youth can change things, says education activist Sonam Wangchuk<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"byline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"multi-byline\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">By<\/span><span><span class=\"ssrcss-16u1n8p-TextContributorName epw3ir01\">Rajini Vaidyanathan<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-1ai8n1t-Text e1xjs3jz0\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span>Presenter, Newshour<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-1ai8n1t-Text e1xjs3jz0\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><span><span class=\"ssrcss-16u1n8p-TextContributorName epw3ir01\">Junaid Ahmed<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-1ai8n1t-Text e1xjs3jz0\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span>Newshour<\/span><\/span><span><span class=\"ssrcss-1ai8n1t-Text e1xjs3jz0\">\u00a0<!-- -->and<!-- -->\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-16u1n8p-TextContributorName epw3ir01\">Phelan Chatterjee<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"metadata\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"metadata\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\"><time data-testid=\"timestamp\" datetime=\"2026-08-05T18:38:46.113Z\">51 minutes ago<\/time><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">The recent youth-led protests have weakened Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi &#8220;terribly&#8221;, says leading activist Sonam Wangchuk whose hunger strike galvanised the movement.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Wangchuk told the BBC that the atmosphere in the country had changed following  mass demonstrations which triggered the resignation of the education minister on 25 July.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Young people now have more confidence they can &#8220;change things if they want to&#8221; and feel they don&#8217;t have to &#8220;take everything lying down&#8221;, the 59-year-old said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The &#8220;cockroach&#8221; movement mounted one of the biggest public displays of dissent against Modi&#8217;s government, which has been in power since 2014.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The movement takes its name from a remark by India&#8217;s chief justice, who drew criticism after comparing sections of unemployed young people to &#8220;cockroaches&#8221; during a court hearing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Wangchuk fasted in scorching heat in the capital, Delhi, for 26 days in June and July, consuming only salt and water. He says he has now regained six of the 11kg he lost. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The activist was forcibly taken to hospitals which he says were &#8220;more like prisons&#8221; for the final six days of his fast.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">By then, the protests had escalated from public anger about the leak of exam papers into some of the biggest anti-government demonstrations India had seen in years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned the day after Wangchuk ended his hunger strike.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Since then, <a href=\"\/news\/articles\/cm2gv4dgqv4o\" class=\"ssrcss-1e0jzsh-InlineLink e1kn3p7n0\">Modi has announced fast-track courts to try those accused in the leaks<\/a> and appointed a tech billionaire to lead efforts to reform the examination system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The government also said it would offer compensation to families of students who took their own lives after exam questions were leaked.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But India&#8217;s problems are deeper &#8211; with graduate unemployment hovering around 35-40% for the past 25 years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-kslfug-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chant slogans and wave their mobile phones with torches on as they gather after Indian education activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike, was taken to a hospital by authorities on Saturday during a sit-in protest demanding the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/3840\/cpsprodpb\/7366\/live\/eaab1540-909a-11f1-9a74-8f3df9aa8271.jpg\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2560.527182866557\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Reuters<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">There were big demonstrations after Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly removed from the protest site to hospital<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Wangchuk argues fundamental reform to education is needed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The engineer and education specialist says exams currently have little relevance to the job market.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Often based on multiple-choice questions, they are designed to assess millions of students efficiently, with no consideration of how effectively they measure skills and understanding, he says. This, in turn, shapes how schools teach.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">If exams placed greater emphasis on hands-on experience and aptitude, he suggests, schools might adapt their methods and help address India&#8217;s jobs crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;There needs to be some planning of what the world and the country are likely to look like in 15 years,&#8221; Wangchuk says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Changing the way children are taught might help ensure they are &#8220;not left unemployed and sectors that need people are not left underemployed&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">India&#8217;s government has previously defended itself against criticism of its handling of the economy. It argues that claims of an unemployment crisis are overstated and that its macroeconomic policy remains fundamentally robust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"links\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-94r6ik-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><a href=\"\/news\/articles\/cedj9j911p8o\" class=\"ssrcss-kth21g-LinkAnchor e3eyuya2\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-7zrqh4-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Why are thousands protesting for education reform in India?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1ulytiq-LinkIconContainer e3eyuya3\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">23 July<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-qzx51b-LinkItem e3eyuya1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1gccci3-Stack e1y4nx260\"><a href=\"\/news\/articles\/cq562x2zlw4o\" class=\"ssrcss-kth21g-LinkAnchor e3eyuya2\"><span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-7zrqh4-LinkHeadline e3eyuya4\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">The hunger-striking engineer demanding education reforms in India<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1ulytiq-LinkIconContainer e3eyuya3\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">20 July<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Meanwhile, reports say many Cockroach Janta Party protesters are still facing  repercussions including court cases, police harassment and social media abuse.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">This is happening despite <a href=\"\/news\/articles\/c4gwdz3z5gzo\" class=\"ssrcss-1e0jzsh-InlineLink e1kn3p7n0\">the Supreme Court directing authorities not to take coercive action<\/a> against those protesters who are facing charges but have no prior criminal record.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But regardless of that, Wangchuk says that, &#8220;in the last few days, I think there has been good progress&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1dg7aje-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sonam Wangchuk, an education activist who was on a hunger strike for 26 days to support the demand for resignation of India\u2019s education minister, walks after paying homage at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Rajghat in New Delhi, India\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/2560\/cpsprodpb\/e90f\/live\/a7d830d0-909b-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1499.4285714285716\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Reuters<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The engineer has a history of campaigning for more self-rule in Ladakh<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Wangchuk insists change is in the air in India.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He believes the government has been hugely damaged by how long it took before Pradhan stepped down.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;This gave young people a chance to gain confidence and unity in their actions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Wangchuk says that, if the government doesn&#8217;t listen to the people, they may return to protests that go beyond education.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He suggests the damage is already being felt by the governing BJP, pointing to the party losing two of three by-elections this week &#8211; including a <a href=\"\/news\/articles\/cz05x8vk71zo\" class=\"ssrcss-1e0jzsh-InlineLink e1kn3p7n0\">seat in Bihar state it had held for more than 30 years<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">However, he maintains that India&#8217;s leaders could still change their approach.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I always believe in people realising their mistakes and amending their ways. So I would give them that chance.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Twelve days have now passed since Wangchuk said he broke his fast. He is back in Leh, his hometown in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He has a renewed faith in the power of hunger strikes &#8211; taking inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi&#8217;s philosophy of non-violent resistance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In previous years he&#8217;s held hunger strikes for more self-rule in Ladakh and against a &#8220;very powerful government&#8221; seeking to &#8220;bulldoze ecologically sensitive places&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Though he has not achieved his goals there, he says &#8220;inflicting pain on ourselves makes the government feel differently, compared to us using sticks and stones&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Asked if he has any plans to run for office, he says no &#8211; he would rather enable others to do so. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"topicList\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-tcr9z1-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"topic-list\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nj9heb-StyledTagContainer ed0g1kj1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1pfbb52-TopicListHeaderWrapper etw6iwl0\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">Related topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17ehax8-Cluster e1ihwmse1\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-w8zanw-ClusterItems e1ihwmse0\">\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/topics\/czpnxldvl0et\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">Ladakh<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/world\/asia\/india\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">India<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"promoList\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-tcr9z1-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">More on this story<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"ssrcss-1ughxsy-List e880cno1\">\n<li>\n<div data-testid=\"promo\" class=\"ssrcss-ccqz3i-Promo e1vyq2e80\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1u1fh10-PromoSwitchLayoutAtBreakpoints et5qctl0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-wg79iw-PromoContent exn3ah912\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l0lt4o-Stack e1y4nx260\"><a href=\"\/news\/articles\/c4g43l251vyo\" class=\"ssrcss-5gf2d0-PromoLink exn3ah94\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1emzoi7-PromoHeadline exn3ah99\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">&#8216;I was slut-shamed&#8217; &#8211; Indian women &#8216;cockroach&#8217; protesters doxxed and abused<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l0lt4o-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">21 hours ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-z60stg-PromoImageContainer en81kx34\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17h6w1t-PromoImageContainerInner en81kx32\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-fec6qv-ImageWrapper en81kx33\"><span class=\"ssrcss-lv3mzj-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Representative image of a woman using her smartphone\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/2048\/cpsprodpb\/ab4d\/live\/f7c85890-907d-11f1-8725-8d0c8af94493.jpg\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1151.5169811320754\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div data-testid=\"promo\" class=\"ssrcss-ccqz3i-Promo e1vyq2e80\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1u1fh10-PromoSwitchLayoutAtBreakpoints et5qctl0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-wg79iw-PromoContent exn3ah912\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l0lt4o-Stack e1y4nx260\"><a href=\"\/news\/articles\/cm2gv4dgqv4o\" class=\"ssrcss-5gf2d0-PromoLink exn3ah94\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1emzoi7-PromoHeadline exn3ah99\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">Why India&#8217;s youth anger has become Modi&#8217;s biggest challenge<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l0lt4o-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">1 day ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-z60stg-PromoImageContainer en81kx34\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17h6w1t-PromoImageContainerInner en81kx32\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-fec6qv-ImageWrapper en81kx33\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pflr6j-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A bearded young man with the word Gen-Z painted on his face during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar on 22 July 2026 in New Delhi, India. \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/0c9e\/live\/4b946f60-8c99-11f1-bb2a-7dfd0cfdafcb.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div data-testid=\"promo\" class=\"ssrcss-ccqz3i-Promo e1vyq2e80\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1u1fh10-PromoSwitchLayoutAtBreakpoints et5qctl0\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-wg79iw-PromoContent exn3ah912\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l0lt4o-Stack e1y4nx260\"><a href=\"\/news\/articles\/crl7jl1d95eo\" class=\"ssrcss-5gf2d0-PromoLink exn3ah94\"><span role=\"text\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1emzoi7-PromoHeadline exn3ah99\"><span aria-hidden=\"false\">&#8216;What was my fault?&#8217;: How India&#8217;s exam paper leak ended young lives<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-l0lt4o-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\">2 days ago<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-z60stg-PromoImageContainer en81kx34\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17h6w1t-PromoImageContainerInner en81kx32\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-fec6qv-ImageWrapper en81kx33\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pflr6j-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Prashant Patel, 45, shows a photo of his 17-year-old son Kahaan Patel, who took his own life ahead of the NEET exam retest, in Ahmedabad\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1920\/cpsprodpb\/d345\/live\/baefc770-8f09-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, Youth can change things, says education activist Sonam Wangchuk ByRajini Vaidyanathan,\u00a0Presenter, Newshour,\u00a0Junaid Ahmed,\u00a0Newshour\u00a0and\u00a0Phelan Chatterjee Published 51 minutes ago The recent youth-led protests have weakened Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi &#8220;terribly&#8221;, says leading activist Sonam Wangchuk [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Youth protests have weakened Modi, Indian activist who went on hunger strike tells BBC - Asia Newscast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2093\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Youth protests have weakened Modi, Indian activist who went on hunger strike tells BBC - Asia Newscast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, Youth can change things, says education activist Sonam Wangchuk ByRajini Vaidyanathan,\u00a0Presenter, Newshour,\u00a0Junaid Ahmed,\u00a0Newshour\u00a0and\u00a0Phelan Chatterjee Published 51 minutes ago The recent youth-led protests have weakened Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi &#8220;terribly&#8221;, says leading activist Sonam Wangchuk [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=2093\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Asia Newscast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-05T19:30:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/3840\/cpsprodpb\/7366\/live\/eaab1540-909a-11f1-9a74-8f3df9aa8271.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=2093#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=2093\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"Youth protests have weakened Modi, Indian activist who went on hunger strike tells BBC\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-05T19:30:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=2093\"},\"wordCount\":930,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=2093#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\\\/ace\\\/standard\\\/3840\\\/cpsprodpb\\\/7366\\\/live\\\/eaab1540-909a-11f1-9a74-8f3df9aa8271.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=2093#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=2093\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=2093\",\"name\":\"Youth protests have weakened Modi, Indian activist who went on hunger strike tells BBC - 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