Mahatma Gandhi, who exercised unprecedented moral force by undertaking fast unto death and brought about extraordinary transformations of heart of those committing injustice, wrote on October 30, 1932, “I don’t think that I can lay down rules for indefinite fasting…”. He then emphatically added:“I might say only this. A fast should be characterised by perfect truth and non-violence and should be undertaken only upon the prompting of one’s inner voice and not in blind imitation of somebody. One should never undertake a fast for a selfish end; the aim behind a fast should always be common good. A fast should never be undertaken for any object which is inspired by ill will towards somebody.”These words are playing out in Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite fast continuing at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Gandhi’s insistence that a fast should aim at “the common good” is reflected in ample measure in Wangchuk’s protest, undertaken for the cause of improving the standard of education and attaining constitutional safeguards for Ladakh. His fast aims at protecting the precious future of the youth, several of whom, out of sheer trauma caused by the failure of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in conducting exams without paper leaks, were driven to commit suicide.Only fast for improving India’s education systemWangchuk, commenced his indefinite fast on June 28 as part of Cockroach Janta Party’s protest against admittedly recurrent NEET exam paper leaks and massive bungling in evaluation of class 12 answer sheets. He is a globally acclaimed environmentalist and climate activist, innovator and engineer, Raman Magsaysay award winner and, above all, a role model of conscientious citizenship.His fast stands as the only example of a protest organised for arresting the terminal decline of education under the Narendra Modi regime, to improve the standard of education, ensure a robust examination system free of question paper leaks and safeguard the future of youth who have repeatedly felt existential threat to their future caused by the unforgivable mess in the education system under Pradhan’s leadership, who has completely failed in conducting examinations and providing the quality education Indian youth legitimately deserve.The main demand of the protestors is Pradhan’s resignation, who took responsibility for the exam and evaluation fiasco and yet remains firmly stuck to his chair, callously disregarding Wangchuk’s indefinite fast, which has entered its 18th day and is continuing. His deteriorating health on account of the ongoing fast has manifested in several complications, including a loss of eight kgs in weight and a fall in blood pressure and blood sugar.Government apathy to the fastIt is rather tragic that Modi regime is totally impervious to the national outrage caused against the NEET paper leak and Pradhan’s proven failure as education minister, displaying insensitive and cruel attitude towards Wangchuk’s fast, which has caused concern across the nation.Ideally, a government responsive to the people’s concerns and accountable to them and the constitution would be driven by Wangchuk’s sufferings, who has put his life at stake for “the common good.”Wangchuk’s earlier support for NEP and PradhanIt is worth highlighting that Wangchuk, in 2023, posted on X: “THANK YOU @dpradhanbjp ji for being so open to innovative ideas in education… we feel even more committed to making #NEP a reality on ground.” Later, it was same Bharatiya Janata Party leadership that arrested him under the National Security Act and imprisoned him for six months, before he was released unconditionally.The Modi regime, with such uninspiring record, would obviously be hostile to Wangchuk now that he is on an indefinite fast. During the year-long farmers’s protest, when 750 farmers reportedly died, the Modi regime remained unmoved and never responded to the scale of the tragedy. Eventually, it had to repeal the farm laws because of the resilience of the movement.So, Wangchuk’s fast is less likely to move Modi regime and least of all Pradhan. The indefinite fast for the common good appears to hold little importance for Pradhan or the regime of which he is an integral part.Apathy to fasting as a language of the heartDuring the British rule over India, Gandhi forcefully wrote on July 11, 1934:“You can influence the mass mind not through speeches or writings but only by something which is most well understood by the masses, that is suffering and the most acceptable method is that of fasting…My repeated experience here and in South Africa has been that, when well applied, it has been the most infallible remedy…My lot has been cast with the masses and I have always to take work from and through them. The only language they understand is the language of the heart and fasting when it is utterly unselfish is the language of the heart.”If British colonial rulers could be moved by “the language of the heart” flowing from an unselfish fast, why has the Modi regime remained silent towards Wangchuk’s indefinite fast?Such an apathetic approach towards “the language of heart,” in this reading, suggests an unmistakable fact that India’s situation in 2026 compares unfavourably with that of British rule.Come what may, a way must be found to save the precious life of Sonam Wangchuk and responsibility for it rests squarely with Prime Minister Modi and Education Minister Pradhan and not anybody else, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.S.N. Sahu served as Officer on Special Duty to President of India K.R. Narayanan.