For Sakshi Malik, the Wrestlers’ protests was rigged from start

The wrestlers’ protest of 2023 remains one of the most defining moments in Indian sports history. It saw some of India’s greatest athletes—Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and others—stand against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, over allegations of sexual harassment. What started as a fight for justice, however, slowly revealed itself to be a battle against a system riddled with broken promises, false hope, and betrayal.

Fight Begins: Promise of Support

In her memoir Witness, Sakshi Malik offers a revealing account of the wrestlers’ struggle. As the movement gained momentum at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Malik, Phogat, and Punia sought justice for the female wrestlers who had allegedly been harassed by Singh. But the protest, which lasted for months, was not just a fight against the WFI—it became a battle against the political machinery that, Malik writes, “gamed” the wrestlers from the very start.

It all began with Babita Phogat, a well-known wrestler and cousin of Vinesh, who convinced them to begin the protest. Babita, who had strong political connections, assured the wrestlers that she had the ears of those in power and that their grievances would be addressed. But, as Sakshi recalls, Babita’s involvement was short-lived. “Babita convinced us to start the protest and then distanced herself from it… For her, it had been a big political game; for us, we’d laid everything on the line.”

Meeting Government: False Promises

The wrestlers met with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur just days after their protest began. It was an emotionally charged meeting, with Sakshi and other women recounting their traumatic experiences with Singh. Thakur’s response, however, was far from encouraging.

“Anurag Thakur sat there, listening quietly. There was no emotion on his face. If he was shocked by anything he heard, he didn’t show it. His reaction was in complete contrast to everyone else’s… it was as if he was bored and just wanted our meeting to be over,” Sakshi writes.

Despite Thakur’s indifference, the wrestlers were briefly hopeful after Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured them action would be taken. The wrestlers then called off the initial protest, but Sakshi admits she knew it was a mistake. “I had done everything with absolute sincerity, and despite that, I’d been tricked.”

Mary Kom role and broken system

After Thakur’s promises, an oversight committee, including boxing legend Mary Kom, was set up to investigate the allegations. Sakshi Malik saw this as a glimmer of hope. Mary Kom even expressed empathy, telling Sakshi that her own experiences echoed what the wrestlers had gone through.

“All of us thirteen female wrestlers sat in the same room and told our stories, one after the other… They [committee members] said, ‘Please don’t cry, we will get you justice. Don’t worry.'”

Yet, despite the emotional testimony, nothing came of it. The committee’s final report lacked substance. “Were the committee members’ jobs and positions so important to them that they couldn’t even stand up for what was right?” Sakshi laments.

Collapse of Wrestlers Protest

The second phase of the protest was marked by intense hardship, with wrestlers spending days and nights out in Delhi’s unforgiving summer. Despite the challenges, they were heartened by the support of ordinary citizens—mostly farmers from Haryana—who stood by them in solidarity.

Their fight seemed poised for a powerful act of defiance when they threatened to immerse their medals in the Ganga at Haridwar. But the protest ended in disappointment when farmer leader Naresh Tikait intervened, snatching away the medals and undoing the entire movement. “What was supposed to be a great act of defiance had turned into a complete farce,” writes Sakshi.

Total Defeat for Sakshi Malik

The final blow came when Shah and Thakur once again made promises, this time assuring that a woman would lead the federation. However, when the WFI elections took place, Singh’s allies were elected to power, with not a single woman in sight.

Having started the protest with the aim of removing Brij Bhushan Singh from power, the wrestlers were left devastated. In the end, the system they had so boldly challenged remained intact, and Singh continued to hold his position of influence.

For Sakshi Malik and her fellow wrestlers, the protest was not just a fight for justice but also a revelation of the entrenched corruption and betrayal that runs deep within Indian sports and politics. Their struggle, once filled with hope, ended in bitter defeat.