A Welcome Drawn Match

THE UNEDIFYING SPECTACLE of India’s top wrestlers agitating on the streets and clashing with the police has ended, hopefully for good. The break­through achieved in lengthy talks held on June 7 between the protesting wrestlers, represented by Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, and Minister of Sports Anurag Thakur, where the athletes agreed to await the filing of a chargesheet by Delhi Police by June 15, indicates that both sides have realised the limitations of following a path of confrontation.

The police chargesheet will deal with allegations of sexual misconduct levelled by female wrestlers against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and head of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The police action will potentially be open to scrutiny by the Supreme Court, which took up the allegations and asked for the registration of the FIRs. The decisions arrived at include the withdrawal of FIRs against wrestlers relating to violation of public order, the constitution of an internal complaints committee in WFI, headed by a woman, and an assurance that neither Singh nor his nominees will contest elections to the federation due to be held by June 30.

For the government, the breakthrough spells relief as the agitation by the wrestlers accusing Singh of sexual misdemeanours generated negative headlines and saw the International Olympic Committee wading into the row, calling for an unbiased probe into the allegations. Their status as In­dian champions, so frequently seen on television and newspaper front pages draped in Indian colours, has made the wrestlers household names. The decision of Congress leaders from Haryana to lend muscle to the stir was not surpris­ing but the government would have been concerned by the bid of farm union leaders like Rakesh Tikait and Gurnam Singh Charuni to insert themselves into the protests. With well-earned reputations as dissenters, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) factions could whip up caste and community sentiments among rural khaps and indulge in roadblocks as they did in opposition to the farm laws. The government would rather not provide any political space to Tikait and Co.

The compromise was preceded by the wrestlers meeting Home Minister Amit Shah on June 4. Details of the meeting are not available but sources said the minister would have assured the wrestlers that the Delhi Police probe was near comple­tion and had been fairly conducted. The wrestlers might also have come away with a clear impression about which of their demands were likely to be considered. The demand for the arrest of Singh was not likely to be accepted before submitting the chargesheet in court given the long interval between the al­leged commission of the offences and the registration of police complaints. Though the wrestlers denied that any complaints had been withdrawn, reports that a minor athlete had refused to pursue a complaint against Singh weakened their case. Singh in the meanwhile has consistently denied charges and claimed that factional and selection issues were the nub of the problem.

The matter relating to the complaints filed by the wrestlers is now in the domain of the courts but the next round of their tussle will play out during the WFI elections. It was clear that Singh, having completed three terms, was not eligible to contest again, irrespective of the charges. The wrestlers were concerned about Singh putting up a proxy, and continuing his control of the WFI. Thakur assured them that this would not be the case. Though they would be relieved to have received the assurance, the possibility of Singh propping up a proxy was slim, given that the government was unlikely to support any move that would add fuel to the fires raging within WFI.

The elections to the WFI are necessary to maintain conformity with the requirements of global sporting federations such as United World Wrestling and to prevent any controversy over the qualification of Indian athletes for events such as the Asian Games or Olympics. The line-up of contestants for the WFI president should present an interesting picture. The possibility of a party-aligned contest cannot be ruled out with speculation about the interest of a Haryana-based industrialist who has promoted pro-wrestling and other sports. In any case, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will monitor the elections. The IOA has set up an ad-hoc body currently overseeing training and selection. The elec­tions might be a real test for the factions represented by the protesting wrestlers who all hail from Haryana.

The unseemly scenes of the wrestlers being confronted by the police as they sought to march towards Parliament on May 28 served to further stoke the controversy. Though the police action was criticised, the wrestlers were evicted from their protest site at Jantar Mantar and it was made clear that they would not be able to pitch tents again. The police and govern­ment were wary of a repeat of the anti-farm law-style sit-ins. Also, the presence of political workers from opposition parties and attempts to precipitate confrontations, as when the BKU supporters clambered over barriers at Jantar Mantar, raised fears of lawless elements exploiting the situation. The risk for the wrestlers lay in continuing the protests without being clear as to what the outcome of the police investigation and court processes would be.

The government has pointed out that the wrestlers had agreed to a probe committee headed by Olympian boxer Mary Kom, which included a nominee suggested by the ath­letes. The wrestlers later denounced the committee, claiming various infirmities, including disruptions in a video recording of the proceedings. However, none of the committee members, including the nominee of the wrestlers Babita Phogat, dis­sented or supported claims of procedural discrepancies. The contents of the report are not available in the public space and officials insist that since the committee examined charges re­lated to misconduct against minors, the findings must remain confidential. It does seem, however, that many of the allega­tions levelled against Singh lacked sufficient substantiation though the police investigation will provide the final word.

The events since January 18 when Punia, Malik, and Vinesh Phogat began their protest have certainly dented Singh’s image and political career. He now faces the possibility of being in custody depending on the findings of the police and proceedings in court. The episode has, however, once again served to underline the continued role of politicians and factionalism in sport federations. It does seem that the threat by wrestlers to chuck their medals into the Ganga—providentially stalled by Tikait’s “assurance” to redress the issue—was a touch premeditated. While it is to be hoped that the “peace” between the wrestlers and the government endures, it is equally essential that the full facts of the allegations be established. Any wrongdo­ing must be punished and only complete transparency will dis­pel the doubts and bad vibes that have enveloped Indian sport.

Anurag ThakurBajrang PuniaBrij Bhushan Sharan SinghprotestSakshi Malikwrestlers