Para Sakshi Malik y sus compañeros luchadores, esta protesta no es sólo una lucha por la justicia, sino también una exposición de la corrupción y la traición profundamente arraigadas en los deportes y la política de la India.
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] dijo: ‘Por favor, no llores, te haremos justicia’. No te preocupes.'”
Sin embargo, a pesar del emotivo testimonio, no salió nada. El informe final del comité carecía de sustancia. “¿Son tan importantes para ellos los trabajos y posiciones de los miembros del comité que ni siquiera pueden defender lo que es correcto?” Sakshi se arrepiente.
El colapso de la protesta de los luchadores
La segunda fase de las protestas estuvo marcada por inmensas dificultades, y los luchadores pasaron días y noches en el implacable calor del verano de Delhi. A pesar de los desafíos, siguen alentados por el apoyo de los ciudadanos comunes, en su mayoría agricultores de Haryana, que los apoyan en solidaridad.
Su lucha parecía a punto de convertirse en un poderoso acto de desafío cuando amenazaron con ahogar sus medallas en el río Ganges en Haridwar. Pero la protesta terminó en decepción cuando el líder campesino Naresh Tikait intervino, confiscó las medallas y disolvió todo el movimiento. “Lo que debería haber sido un acto de gran desafío se ha convertido en una broma”. Sakshi escribió.
Derrota total para Sakshi Malik
El golpe final llegó cuando Shah y Thakur volvieron a hacer promesas, esta vez asegurando que una mujer dirigiría la federación. Sin embargo, cuando se celebraron las elecciones del WFI, los aliados de Singh llegaron al poder y no había ni una sola mujer a la vista.
Después de iniciar protestas con el objetivo de derrocar a Brij Bhushan Singh del poder, los luchadores quedaron devastados. Al final, el sistema que desafiaron valientemente permaneció intacto y Singh continuó manteniendo su influencia.
Para Sakshi Malik y sus compañeros luchadores, esta protesta no es sólo una lucha por la justicia, sino también una exposición de la corrupción y la traición profundamente arraigadas en los deportes y la política de la India. Su lucha, que alguna vez estuvo llena de esperanza, terminó en una amarga derrota.
Elección del editor
Historias destacadas
