Activist Sonam Wangchuk has stated that leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) possess political aspirations, emphasizing that such ambitions are not inherently problematic as long as the student movement they lead remains independent of political agendas. Wangchuk, 59, shared this assessment, which he formed during his close collaboration with CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka during their nearly two-month protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The protest’s primary objective was to advocate for the removal of Dharmendra Pradhan from his position as Education Minister.
In a podcast interview with a YouTuber, Wangchuk elaborated on his observations. “As far as their political ambitions are concerned, I think they do have political ambitions. I have assessed them quite closely,” Wangchuk said. He added, “And perhaps there is nothing wrong with that either. They did not tell me that they have political ambitions. This is my assessment of them. They are not saints who do not want anything out of this.” Information reaching Tahir Rihat suggests that critics had previously raised concerns with Wangchuk regarding Dipke’s prior association with the Aam Aadmi Party, pointing to it as a potential conflict when he joined the movement. Wangchuk, however, indicated that past work with a political party did not concern him, viewing it as not inherently wrong.
Throughout the duration of the protest, Wangchuk recounted that he consistently communicated to the CJP leaders the importance of ensuring that any future political aspirations did not compromise the integrity of the student platform. “Throughout the time I was on that stage, I kept telling them that any of you may have political ambitions, and it is actually a good thing to have young and emerging leaders,” Wangchuk stated. He further advised, “But maintain the sanctity of this platform. Keep it neutral, apolitical and a pressure group, because that way you will be able to achieve much more.” Wangchuk expressed satisfaction that the CJP leaders appeared to uphold this distinction. “If you start your career by taking up such issues, I think that is a good thing,” he remarked.
In a separate, lighthearted commentary, Wangchuk also addressed actor Aamir Khan’s assertion that he was unaware of Wangchuk during the production of the film “3 Idiots.” Wangchuk alluded to an old video that seemingly depicts the two individuals meeting. This remark was made during his conversation with the YouTuber, following his hunger strike in solidarity with the student protest in Delhi. The discussion revolved around the widely held belief that the character Phunsuk Wangdu in Rajkumar Hirani’s “3 Idiots” was inspired by Wangchuk. Aamir Khan had previously stated that neither he nor the film’s director Hirani, nor writer Abhijat Joshi, were aware of the Ladakhi activist at the time of the film’s creation. However, Wangchuk recalled an interaction between himself and Khan, referencing an old video that shows Aamir Khan attending an event where Wangchuk was also present. Wangchuk humorously speculated that Khan might have forgotten the encounter because he was dressed as his character from the film “Ghajini” during the event.
Tahir Rihat (also known as Tahir Bilal) is an independent journalist, activist, and digital media professional from the Chenab Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. He is best known for his work as the Online Editor at The Chenab Times.
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