Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, have been protesting for 22 days at Jantar Mantar. They are demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), for alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) asked the WFI to hand over official documents, including financial instruments, to its ad-hoc panel. This means the outgoing WFI office bearers will have no role in running the federation. The WFI is cooperating with the IOA’s order.
The wrestlers see this as the first step in their fight for justice. Bajrang called it a victory and said they would continue their fight until they get justice. Vinesh noted that no ruling party’s woman parliamentarian has met with the wrestlers to support their fight for women’s dignity. Starting Monday, the wrestlers will deliver letters by hand or email to all of the ruling party’s women parliamentarians, asking for their support. Vinesh also asked people at Jantar Mantar to visit their district headquarters on May 16 and give a memorandum in support of the wrestlers. She requested that people launch a satyagraha andolan (nonviolent resistance) for one day to support women’s dignity.
