India’s Top Female Wrestlers Demand Action on Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Wrestling Federation of India Chief

Image Source:The Indian Express

Top Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Ravi Dahiya, resumed their protest on Sunday at Jantar Mantar, demanding justice for the sexual harassment allegations against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. They urged the government to make public the findings of the oversight panel that investigated the allegations against Singh.

The wrestlers had previously raised the issue in January but ended their three-day long sit-in after discussions with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur. However, as there have been no developments since then, the wrestlers returned to the protest site.

Phogat shared a photo of wrestlers sleeping in the open on a footpath, expressing their struggle for justice. The Oversight Committee, headed by legendary boxer M C Mary Kom, was formed to investigate the allegations, but the wrestlers have lost faith in the committee and are considering legal action against Singh.

“We are tired of asking the government to release the findings… We have nothing to do with the (WFI) election process. We are more concerned about our careers. The (Paris) Olympics are upon us, and we want to begin preparations in the right earnest,” said Phogat. Malik added, “We will not budge from Jantar Mantar” and asserted that the fight for justice will not stop.

The wrestlers’ protest highlights the systemic issue of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in sports organizations. Women’s voices must be heard and acknowledged, and the perpetrators of such misconduct must be held accountable.

Re-reported from the story originally published in The Indian Express