‘Cockroach’ protests spread across India as leading activist ends hunger strike

An activist has ended his 26-day hunger strike that galvanized India’s “Cockroach” protests, turning them into one of the biggest challenges to the government.

An activist has ended his 26-day hunger strike that helped to galvanize India’s youth-led “Cockroach” protests, turning them into one of the most sustained challenges to the country’s leadership in years.

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But demonstrators vowed Friday to press on despite Sonam Wangchuk’s decision to end his fast, as the protests spread from New Dehli to other cities around the country including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.

Wangchuk’s fast began amid protests for education reforms after alleged leaks in some of the country’s most competitive university entrance exams, but quickly became a lightning rod for public anger over education, economic inequality and the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.