Wrestlers vs WFI president: Here's what's happening behind the scenes

The Indian wrestlers' renewed protests against WFI and its president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, have disturbed the wrestling fraternity and nation. Here's what has been taking place behind the scenes.

Image credit: PTI

The protesting wrestlers' fight for justice at Jantar Mantar is becoming expensive as arranging for even the most basic needs is burning a hole in their pockets. But, despite that, the wrestlers are prepared for a long haul at the famous protest site, where they have assembled to demand the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who they have accused of sexual harassment and intimidation.

In five days, the wrestlers have spent more than ₹5 lakh arranging mattresses, bed sheets, fans, speakers and microphones, a mini power gen-set, and water and food. Initially, they took mattresses, bed sheets and the sound system on rent, shelling out ₹27,000 for a single day. Soon, they realised that arranging for even little things would become a huge financial burden if they had to sit in for an extended period.

"So, we decided to buy mattresses. I bought 80 mattresses from my village, Kharkhoda, paying ₹50,000. We were being charged 12,000 a day for all the mattresses. That's a huge sum. Initially, we rented speakers and microphones, but the one-day cost was ₹12,000. It was too much. We have bought our sound system from Chandni Chowk market for ₹60,000. The shopkeeper was nice. He knew that athletes are on the road, so he gave us the system on a not-for-profit basis," Somvir Rathi, husband of Vinesh Phogat, told PTI.

A few items like fans and generators are still on rent -- both at a combined amount of about ₹10,000 a day. "We will buy coolers if the need arises. It's sweltering out there. We brought ₹2 lakh cash with us but have already spent about ₹5-6 lakh," added Rathi. While Vinesh, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia are the faces of the protest, people like the unassuming Somvir, his friend Yogesh (Bharat Kesri) and several others are working day and night to keep the protest going.

"We have divided the work among ourselves. A few coaches ensure the cooks prepare quality food while young wrestlers deliver food to the protest site. Another guy ensures the water supply is uninterrupted, another handles cleanliness, and one runs errands. Even the security personnel help us sometimes," he added.

What will they do with all the things when they wind up from here? "We will distribute everything to either Gurudwara or a temple. They can make good use of mattresses, speakers and other stuff," he declared. Somvir quietly passed a big packet of water bottles over the police barricading to one of the wrestlers, who took the package and placed it in one corner of the protest area.

At times, Somvir was seen trying to convince the leaders of the 'akharas' in Haryana not to send wrestlers to the protest site since handling a big crowd would pose a challenge. "I have told them not to come here as yet. Handling a big crowd could become a big issue. A few wrestlers' parents came with 50kg of milk, and unfortunately, about 20kg went to waste because it turned sour due to the summer heat. There is no place to keep such things, so we ask people for support. There was a meeting in Rohtak on Thursday. From among 100 'akharas' in Haryana, about 80 are willing to come here to support us," he continued.

Do they need financial help from any political party or influential people who believe in their cause? "If that were the case, we would have a waterproof shed over our head and some decent facilities, but we are managing with the bare minimum," he expressed. The families of Vinesh, Sakshi and Bajrang are managing the cost. "We are not accepting help from anyone as of today. We are managing by ourselves and spending money very carefully. All the people who are coming are arranging for their food on their own," he concluded.

(With inputs from PTI)