Jantar Mantar, a place where echoes of protests and demands have reverberated before, witnessed an unsettling déjà vu as hundreds of junior wrestlers gathered to voice their discontent. Almost a year ago, this very site had served as the rallying point for top grapplers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, drawing immense support as they called for the arrest of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment against women wrestlers. Fast forward to the present, and the same trio, once hailed as heroes, now faces a sea of accusations from within their own community.
Hundreds of junior wrestlers, loaded in buses from different parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi, gathered at Jantar Mantar to voice their discontent, attributing the loss of a pivotal year in their careers to the very figures they once supported.
The wrestling fraternity, typically a symbol of strength and unity, arrived in buses laden not just with aspiring athletes but with a shared sense of discontent. Close to 300 junior wrestlers from Arya Samaj Akhara in Chhaprauli, Baghpat, and others from the Virender Wrestling Academy in Narela added their voices to the collective outcry. Packed in buses like sardines, their determination to make a stand was palpable, with plans to deboard and join the protest en masse.
As the buses disgorged their human cargo onto the protest site, chaos ensued. Security personnel, caught off guard, grappled with the sheer number of impassioned voices. Slogans against Punia, Malik, and Phogat reverberated, punctuating the air with a cacophony of frustration. What was meant to be a unified front for justice now manifests as a collective outcry against those once seen as heroes.
'UWW Save Our Wrestling'
In a visual display of their plea, the protesters carried banners that read: 'UWW save our wrestling from these 3 wrestlers.' The irony was unmistakable: the very athletes who once sought to save wrestling from an external threat were now perceived as threats within. The banners were not just symbols; they were poignant pleas for salvation, a desperate cry for wrestling to be rescued from the shadows.
A Year of Transformation
Almost a year ago, Punia, Malik, and Phogat stood united at the forefront of a movement that garnered support from diverse sections of society. Thousands, including farmer groups, social workers, politicians, women's groups, and fellow wrestlers, rallied behind them in their quest for justice. The unity displayed then has now transformed into internal strife, as the wrestling community accuses them of derailing the dreams of the next generation.
The discontent is not confined to the protest site; it resonates within the wrestling community itself. Those assembled at Jantar Mantar accuse Punia, Malik, and Phogat of ruining their careers.
Sport in Limbo: The WFI Suspension and Ad-Hoc Panel
The timing of this protest is not coincidental. Since January 2023, national wrestling activities have been in limbo due to the WFI facing suspension twice. An ad hoc panel, appointed by the sports ministry, currently oversees the sport, leaving the wrestling community in a state of uncertainty. The protests are not merely against individuals but are also a collective outcry for the restoration of stability in Indian wrestling.
Personal views expressed by the author are their own
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