Wrestlers’ protest: Fear & politics in Jantar Mantar

The country’s top wrestlers, including Olympians Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, have been protesting at Jantar Mantar for over a fortnight now, demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP MP and president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Sabi Hussain, a special correspondent with The Times of India has been at the protest site since Day 1 of the agitation and has been following events as they unfolded. ALSO LISTEN: Wrestlers’ protest: Why Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh Is A Heavyweight Why are India’s wrestler’s protesting? The allegations against Singh are serious: from sexual harassment to intimidation. For weeks, India’s medal winning sports personalities have been camping out in the heat and night, with repeated face-offs with the authorities including the police. Initially starting their protest in January, the wrestlers had gone back to training after being promised an impartial enquiry as well as action on their allegations. In mid-April though, they were back. Accusing the government of not acting against Brij Bhushan Singh, the wrestlers this time around have promised not to leave their protest site – Jantar Mantar in Delhi – till their demands are met. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a six-time BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh, has been accused of sexual harassment by seven wrestlers, including a minor. Delhi Police have registered two cases against him, one of them under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso). It’s been a fortnight since the wrestlers have been protesting in Jantar Mantar. Farmers have also come out in support – many reached Delhi earlier last week. The government has promised to investigate the allegations, asking the wrestlers to trust the process. What are the protesting wrestlers planning? Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday declared that the protesting wrestlers plan to transform their agitation into a pan-India movement post the May 21 deadline that they have given to the government to resolve the issue. The protesting wrestlers have formed two committees to advise them on the future course of action in their fight against outgoing WFI chief. One is a 31-member committee and the second has nine members. Khap panchayat representatives, farmers and women’s organisations are part of the 31-member committee. The nine-member committee will decide on the wrestling part, the protesting wrestlers have clarified. What is it like at the Jantar Mantar protest site? All is not well on the ground, however. The dwindling number of supporters at the Jantar Mantar protest site is a source of worry for the protesters. The turnout for the candle-light march on Monday was thin, showing that people were yet to rally around the wrestlers. Another big challenge is the statements of victims under section 164 of the CrPC, which has not been recorded yet. Also, after spending 15 days without training, wrestlers finally started sparring sessions at the Karnel Singh Stadium in Delhi to prepare for the upcoming Asian Games but skipped it on Tuesday due to the heavy media presence. What are the challenges the wrestlers are facing? The other challenge is to keep the supply line of food and water flowing. While the requirement of food and water has been taken care by the Khaps of Haryana and Delhi, electricity supply is an issue. The wrestlers have complained of having to spend nights on the streets without proper power under the open sky. Information has now come that a guesthouse of a leading political party situated adjacent to the protest site are now giving uninterrupted power supply in the night. What do the wrestlers feel about the politics? Another fear is the presence of political leaders at the protest site. Wrestlers fear that the protest is becoming a tool for rival political parties. The feeling is that the focus on the fight to get justice for the country's leading female wrestlers who have alleged sexual exploitation is getting muddied, and instead becoming a political tool, many of the protesters feel.. Audio production: Sahil Gupta