The thunderstorm that drenched Delhi during the early morning hours of May 27 may have brought respite from the heat to its residents, but it has only made life more difficult for the wrestlers who have been camped at Jantar Mantar for the last 34 days.
Not only did the storm bring down a shamiana that a lot of their supporters have been sleeping under at night, it also almost injured to Sakshi Malik and Sangeeta Phogat.
“The wind was so fierce that it actually toppled over a heavy barrier that we were sleeping next to, but Bajrang (Punia) saved us.” says Malik. Punia, who was sleeping some distance away, woke up just in time to see the barrier toppling over and managed to break its fall before it landed on the sleeping wrestlers.
The protest site looks like a mess. Volunteers are trying to sweep out the water that has collected there, laying out soaked mattresses and durries to dry, and trying to figure out how to get the fallen shamiana back up again.
A commotion suddenly breaks out. An ABP reporter and his cameraman who have arrived at the scene have discovered that the protestors’ supporters are far from happy to see them. The reporter is trying in vain to hide his channel-identifying microphone from the crowd that is gathering around.
“Have you come here to mock us?” thunders Manoj Arya from Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, who manages the protest stage. “On May 23 we held a candle march from here to India gate. At least 15,000 marched that day. You ABP chaps were also there. So why didn’t you show the march on your channel, and the huge number of people who came out in support of our daughters? At the exact time that our march was happening, you were showing a live telecast of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh spewing his bakwaas (nonsense).”
The BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief is accused of sexually harassing several athletes, including a minor. While a case was registered against him at the Supreme Court’s direction, no action has been taken against him yet.
It is worth noting, though, that while there is anger at the presence of the godi media, there is no pushing or shoving on the part of the protestors, nor has any objectionable language been used.
Vikas Jakhar, a supporter from Rajasthan who has been a part of the protest since it began, adds, “The ABP people come, they interview us and then they show nothing about us on their channel! For three or four hours on the evening of May 23 for the entire duration of our candle march to India Gate, they only showed Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on TV. Only late at night, around 12:30 am, when most people were asleep did they show a bit of our march. But then, next morning, the time when everyone wakes up and watches TV, it was Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh being given airtime again! What sense does that make?”
All this while, the number of CRPF jawans wearing bullet-proof jackets and carrying machine guns and tear gas cannisters is steadily increasing. Yet again, Jantar Mantar is starting to resemble a cantonment zone.
I ask Sakshi Malik what the plan for Sunday, May 28, is. It is the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new parliament building which has now become a huge source of controversy and contention.
Her answer is straightforward.
“A lot of our supporters are coming from various parts of the country tomorrow to take part in our Mahila Samman Panchayat in front of the new Parliament. We have made arrangements for them to have some refreshments and then proceed to the new Parliament House for our Mahila Sansad. We have also told them that if they are stopped at the borders, they should just sit down there and protest.”
She continues, “We appeal with folded hands to everyone taking part tomorrow – we do not want violence of any kind. Ours is a peaceful protest. We have also told all our comrades to be watchful and on the lookout for any mischief-makers who might try to infiltrate our ranks.”
But what if they try to stop you, I ask.
“We will cross that bridge when we get to it,” she replies. “Our goal is to reach the new Sansad and talk about the terrible injustices women in India are facing.”
Malik tells me this past month hasn’t been easy for her.
“The learning curve has been very steep. Every day I learn how to answer tough questions and handle new challenges. My husband (Satyavrat, also a wrestler) and I are very peaceful, private people. The last thing we want is for anyone to get hurt because of anything we might have said or done.”
I can’t help but wonder at the contrast between these two young people and those they are protesting against.
Sakshi Malik. Photo: Rohit Kumar
Malik tells me how a man came to the protest one day and put his 3-month-old baby girl in her arms. He said to her, “For her sake, please don’t quit till you have won. You are not just fighting for justice for the girls who have been abused by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, you are also fighting for a better and safer India for my daughter.”
“How can I give up after an appeal like that?” she asks.
Standing next to Malik is her mother, a tall, soft-spoken lady. I tell her it couldn’t be easy for her to see her daughter having to go through all of this.
Her response is quiet and dignified.
“My daughter is a strong woman. She will fight and she will win.”
Rohit Kumar is a writer and educator.
This copy was edited at 9:58 pm.