Wrestlers' Protest: Wrestlers postpone immersing their medals in Ganga after Naresh Tikait's intervention

Wrestlers' Protest: Wrestlers such as Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat had originally intended to discard their medals in the Ganga as a form of protest on May 30. However, after the involvement of farmer leader Naresh Tikait, they have decided to postpone their plan by five days. The athletes handed over their medals to Mr. Tikait when he arrived in the evening, and they have pledged to return to Haridwar if their demands are not addressed.

According to sources from the Delhi Police, the wrestlers will not be permitted to relocate their sit-in demonstration to India Gate, as it is not an appropriate venue for protests. The police will suggest alternative locations for their protest. On May 28, the Delhi Police removed the wrestlers from their protest site at Jantar Mantar, using forceful means. They had announced their intention to discard their medals in the Ganga and commence a hunger strike at India Gate until their demands were met. However, the police source stated that India Gate is not designated for protests and that the wrestlers will not be allowed to demonstrate there.

According to an official statement, the wrestlers have not yet approached the Delhi Police with a formal request regarding their intended protest relocation. If they wish to continue their demonstration, they will need to submit a written communication to the relevant Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), who will then make a decision accordingly. The Delhi Police intends to suggest officially designated alternative protest sites, such as Ramleela Ground and Burari, as options for the wrestlers' protests.

What was the reaction of police towards wrestlers during their peaceful protest on sunday? 

Earlier this week, the Delhi Police announced that the wrestlers would not be permitted to continue their protest at Jantar Mantar. The athletes had been staging their demonstration at Jantar Mantar since April 23, protesting against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India and a BJP MP, alleging him of sexual harassment against female wrestlers.

Following the forceful eviction by the Delhi Police from their protest site at Jantar Mantar, wrestler Sakshi Malik has declared that the wrestlers will now commence a "fast unto death" at India Gate. Malik further stated that the protestors will be discarding their medals into the river Ganga, with the immersion scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. today in Haridwar.

On Sunday, prominent wrestlers in India, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, who had been residing in makeshift tents at Jantar Mantar for approximately 35 days to protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) who has been accused of sexual harassment, were detained by security personnel while attempting to march towards the newly inaugurated Parliament building.

Sakshi Malik writes about wrestlers' pain in the post on Twitter

 Malik wrote in a post on twitter, “Have women wrestlers committed any crime by demanding justice for the sexual harassment that happened to them? The police and the system are treating us like criminals, while the oppressor is cracking down on us in open meetings...He is even openly talking about changing the POCSO Act. We women wrestlers are feeling that we have nothing left in this country.”

“We are remembering those moments when we won medals in Olympics, World Championships. Now we are questioning why we even won those in the first place. Did we win so that the system behaves badly with us? Drag us and then make us the culprits?,” Malik said

On May 28, wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, along with other protesters, were charged with rioting and obstructing public servants in the discharge of their duties. This came after a clash with security personnel who attempted to prevent them from marching towards the newly inaugurated Parliament building. Subsequently, the Delhi Police cleared their protest site at Jantar Mantar and stated that they would not be permitted to return.

Sakshi Malik stated on Monday that the wrestlers and organizers had regrouped and held meetings to devise a future strategy. 

“We will sit on fast unto death at India Gate,” Malik said on Twitter today. “India Gate is the place of our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country. We are not as holy as our martyrs, but while playing at the international level, our feelings were also like those soldiers,” she said further in the post. 

In addition, Malik emphasized the insignificance of the medals earned by the wrestlers who are currently participating in the protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. According to her, the medals that once adorned their necks hold no value or meaning in their current fight for justice. 

In her statement, Malik strongly criticized both President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She expressed disappointment in President Murmu, stating that despite being a woman herself, she observed their protest from just two kilometers away without taking any action or speaking up.

Regarding Prime Minister Modi, Malik mentioned that he had previously referred to them as "daughters of his house." However, the wrestlers were reluctant to return their medals to him because they believed that he had not taken care of them as he should have. Malik further expressed her discontent with the Prime Minister's appearance at the inauguration of the new Parliament, where he posed for photographs wearing bright white clothes. She found his actions and the symbolism of his attire to be hurtful, as if he was asserting his authority over them, stating, "As if you are saying that I am the system."

Malik announced that the medals would be immersed in the holy river Ganga at 6 p.m. in Haridwar. She expressed their intention to discard the medals in the Ganga as a symbolic act, considering the river as the mother Ganga. According to Malik, these medals hold significance for the entire nation, and it is more appropriate to place them in the sacred embrace of Mother Ganga rather than keeping them within an unjust system that has exploited and failed to support them.