After the government assurance, the wrestlers have agreed to suspend their protest, now government must walk the talk
Following a crucial six-hour meeting between top wrestlers and Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, Bajrang Punia, an Olympic medalist, announced that the government has provided assurance regarding the completion of the police investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan Singh, the former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), before June 15. Thakur affirmed that Singh and his associates would not be involved in the general election of the WFI, scheduled to take place by June 30. Now that the government has given assurance the deadlock between the government and the wrestlers is all but over though the wrestlers have said that if the promised action is not taken they would resume their protest. Thakur has also assured them all FIRs against wrestlers would be taken back. The government has also conceded another of the wrestler's demands to conduct the WFI election with their representation and without involving Brij Bhushan and his associates. Also, an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) headed by a woman will be established within the WFI. Moreover, until the WFI general elections take place by June 30, a two-member committee will be present, as suggested. Anurag Thakur also assured that security would be provided to women wrestlers.
The wrestlers had earlier met Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday. These top athletes have been protesting against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for months now. Singh faces accusations of sexually harassing woman wrestlers, including a minor. Delhi Police has filed two FIRs against Singh, including a POCSO case and another related to outraging modesty. Notably, Vinesh Phogat, a prominent figure in the protest, was unable to attend the meeting. Rakesh Tikait, the leader of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), who has been supporting the wrestlers in their protest, did not attend the meeting. If the government had taken the decision earlier, it took now, the situation wouldn’t have been so ugly. Had it been handled with more sensitivity, the wrestlers would not have suffered the way they did during the protest. All kudos to them for keeping up the fight, braving all odds - police brutality, media indifference and above all losing their practice sessions which are so crucial for their performance. They showed that they are fighters on and off the ring. Now that ice has been broken the government would also feel a sigh of relief as it drew a lot of flak for supporting the WFI chief Brij Bhushan. For the government it is good riddance. By conceding to almost all the demands of the wrestlers which were genuine, to say the least, the government has also come up clean and would restore the confidence of young sportspersons who might have felt that the government was insensitive to the plight of sportspersons and dissuaded them from taking up sports as a career. However, the government must fulfill its promises to restore the confidence of the sportspersons.