2023 Indian wrestlers’ protest: Pappu Yadav, Robert Vadra and more: The wrestlers have lost this bout

2023 Indian wrestlers’ protest: Dear wrestlers , you had a problem. You wanted to get it addressed. You went to the authorities. They assured you of all help possible, and also asked you to give all the evidences possible. However, you are unwilling to do it, and when the people question your motives, you hide behind the mask of your success, and invite people, who only make a mockery of your case, instead of solving your woes.  Mind you, they aren’t a rebel like you and are just attention seekers, and unfortunately, you wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar have made the mistake of including such individuals, rendering your protest into nothing more than a dirty play of politics where there stands no scope other than blame game and attention seeking.

Let’s analyse the true reason behind the Indian wrestlers’ protest, and why a seemingly genuine problem has now turned into a lost cause.

What’s the Matter?

Let’s get down to the basics: WHAT IS THE ISSUE? Apparently, some wrestlers, led by Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, are miffed with the continuation of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as the Wrestling federation of India (WFI) President. Vinesh, as well as Sakshi Malik, have accused Brij Bhushan of misbehaving with the women wrestlers.

They have requested the following:

• Removal of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh from all the posts concerned
• Fresh elections of WFI
• No pressure of compulsorily participating in the National trials

Okay, sounds like a fair deal, isn’t it? Well, it isn’t. Following the investigation carried out by Indian Olympic associations (IOA), the wrestlers resumed their protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding the immediate arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and that all their demands are met without question.

But the question that arises is, how exactly can Pappu Yadav, Satyapal Malik, and Priyanka Gandhi solve your issues?

And unfortunately, the people in question are sportspersons, not some opportunistic “Andolanjeevis” posing as farmers, who held the nation to ransom to roll back the farm reforms.

So again, the question rises are where did the wrestlers go wrong?

When the Indian wrestlers’ protest initially occurred, the wrestlers shooed away the opportunistic politicians, implying that they’re not political tools to be taken advantage of.

But what has altered or transformed the situation and forced the Indian wrestlers’ protest to go for a toss?

It is that the moment folks like Pappu Yadav, Satyapal Malik, Naresh Tikait Priyanka Gandhi to name few entered the arena. And that is when things started to take turn for the worse.

Alright, let’s assume for a moment that there is no caste or regionalism angle involved in the wrestlers’ protest and wrestlers are protesting for their rights. But then what justifies the participation of individuals like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Robert Vadra in the protest? Have they achieved recognition as wrestlers or made any significant contributions to Indian sports that deserve mention?

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Is social media also lying?

Okay, let’s assume that nothing is fake. But then there are certain facts that social media has brought to light which cannot be ignored either.

The Indian Olympic Association formed an impartial Oversight Committee, which included well-known members such as M C Mary Kom, Yogeshwar Dutt and Babita Phogat, to address the wrestlers’ concerns. However, the wrestlers resumed their protest before the Committee’s report could be made public. When PT Usha spoke out against their actions, attempts were made to discredit the Committee members, including Yogeshwar Dutt and Babita Phogat, who are from the same region and sport.

Is that not simply a case of INDISCIPLINE? The unreasonable demand of the wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar and making headlines in every media house of not participating in any national trials and seeking direct qualification to Olympics, is impractical to say the least.

Moreover, what about the images and videos of the protesting wrestlers making rounds on social media, wherein they are seen happily conversing with Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

To quote Vinesh’s own statement from an event in 2018, “By God’s grace, nothing of that sort [sexual harassment] happened, maybe because I’m a wrestler myself”. Are we that dumb to not ignore that?

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On the concluding note, my dear champions, when you hold aloft our beloved tricolour and represent the vast and vibrant culture of our great nation, we, as patriotic Indians, rise up with unbridled enthusiasm and unwavering pride to hail you as our true heroes. You are the shining beacons of hope and inspiration for millions, breaking free from the shackles of mediocrity and striving relentlessly to attain greatness. We shall continue to hold you in the highest esteem and cherish your contributions to the glory of our motherland. For you are the true champions who embody the very essence of our rich and diverse culture, and we shall always stand by you in your quest for excellence. But alas! When your protest started to include attention seekers like Pappu Yadav, Priyanka Gandhi, and people of such types who only know blame game and nothing constructive, it lost its meaning. And you, despite winning all bouts across the world to be called champions, sadly lost this particular bout.

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