India’s wrestlers resume protest. This time, it’s personal

The wrestling fraternity has come out, once again, in solidarity at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, seeking immediate action against the Wrestling Federation of India chief for alleged sexual harassment

Jantar Mantar, an astronomical marvel located in the heart of New Delhi, is a phenomenal piece of architecture in the shape of a sundial. The name translates to “instruments for measuring the harmony of the heavens”. However, just outside its hallowed walls, India’s pride, it’s professional wrestlers (who’ve brought home Olympic medals too) have taken to the streets once again to protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)’s chief and six-time BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over charges of alleged sexual harassment. The air is pregnant with an uneasy silence; there are cameras all around but very little in terms of coverage makes it to primetime news shows. 

Across the police barricade, some of the country’s top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, jostle for space. It’s day three of the revived protests, with very little headway made so far. According to reports, threats of dire consequences and monetary inducements were made to the seven female wrestlers who filed separate complaints of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation against Singh. Despite multiple attempts, their complaints weren’t getting any response from government officials, so much so that an FIR is yet to be registered. 

An uphill task

“It's not easy for the women to come out and say that this (sexual harassment) has happened to them. It's a big thing that these girls have submitted their complaints. There is an effort being made to scare us. How many will you be able to break? If you break one, 10 more girls will come out. If justice is given to us, then it will give courage to more girls to come out and register their complaints,” says Phogat, addressing the press conference at Jantar Mantar on 25 April. Phogat, a Padma Shri awardee, and the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold in both Commonwealth and Asian Games, is among the top wrestlers of the country sitting at the protest, demanding the registration of an FIR against Singh after seven women wrestlers filed complaints of sexual harassment against him with the Delhi Police on 21 April.

The female wrestlers also moved a petition in the Supreme Court, taking cognisance of which, the court called the allegations “serious” and issued a notice to the Delhi Police. It was mentioned in the court by Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioners, that one of the seven complainants is a minor. 

Sparking a return to the protest site

At Jantar Mantar, Phogat is joined by Bajrang Punia, Padma Shri awardee and bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, and Sakshi Malik, another Padma Shri awardee who became the first Indian female wrestler to win an Olympic medal when she clinched a bronze at the Rio Olympics in 2016. The celebrated wrestlers renewed their protests from 23 April, three months after they called off their previous protest in January upon receiving assurance from the Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur himself that an oversight committee will probe the matter within four weeks.

However, even after three months, the committee’s report is yet to be made public. This, along with the non-registration of an FIR against Singh, forced the wrestlers to take to the streets again. Malik raised serious questions on the fairness of the committee at the press conference, saying, “One of the members of the committee, Babita Phogat, herself said today that she was forced to sign the committee's report. Then, how was the report submitted?”

As The Established visited the protest site an emotion of being betrayed by the government simmered among the wrestlers. Hence, they changed their tactics this time, learning from what they called their “mistakes'' when they sat for the protest against Singh three months ago. Unlike the last protest, this time, political leaders as well as people from all kinds of organisations were welcomed at the site. Malik talked about this change in their tactic to The Established, saying, “Last time we were manipulated by some people to not seek solidarity from all. That was a wrong decision. We are sportspersons. We belong to the whole country. If the people can stand with us when we win medals for the country, they should also stand with us when we are in difficulty. That’s why this time everyone is welcome to express solidarity at our protest.”

Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat, who was asked to step down from the dias during the last protest, was welcomed this time by the wrestlers on the third day of their renewed protest on 25 April. She expressed solidarity with the wrestlers and alleged that the government is shielding Singh. “I want to ask the Delhi Police when the women went to the police station to register their FIR, under what law did you refuse to register an FIR,” she asks.

Former Haryana’s Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda also came on Tuesday to express his solidarity with the wrestlers and demanded that justice be served to them.

A far reach

The new and changed approach by the wrestlers opened the doors for the influential khaps (community organisation representing a clan or a group of north Indian castes) and even the farmers unions to extend their solidarity with the protest. Aatmjeet Singh, national coordinator of a farmers group Bharatiya Kisan Union, who was also part of the farmers protests, spoke to The Established about a larger solidarity being formed by different organisations. “Twenty-nine khaps from Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have decided to extend their solidarity. Around 100-200 people from each khap will come to protest till justice is not served.”

Chaudhary Surendra Solanki, chief of Palam-360 khap also announced at the press conference that all the khaps from north India have decided to support the protests.

This time, the wrestlers are not just demanding legal action against Brij Bhushan Singh, but also demanding a major overhaul in the sports administration. Speaking about this to The Established, Malik listed out the demands, saying, “Our demands are that the WFI President should be boycotted, new bodies should be created. It has been four days since the seven girls registered their complaints and still no FIR has been registered. So, the FIR should be registered and the accused should be punished appropriately.” She also added that since the wrestlers are forced to sit in protest, their preparations for the Olympics next year will be affected.

As the wrestlers are taking on a political strongman who is a six-time MP and has four criminal cases pending against him including one for attempt to murder according to his election affidavit, they said they, along with the complainants, are facing threats and intimidations. But they are not ready to back down. Punia elaborated on the attempts to silence complainants in the press conference, saying, “Seven girls who have submitted their complaints to the police, they are being intimidated. We don’t know before whom the police have disclosed their names but their lives are in danger. Federation people are reaching their homes with money. If necessary, we will also disclose their names before the media. If anything happens to them, the police and government will be responsible,” and asked, “What is the pressure that you are not registering FIR even after receiving complaints?”

“This is not only a matter of wrestlers, but a matter of women,” says Phogat.

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