Newsmaker | Wrestlers’ protest: From Ganga banks, another Tikait to the fore

Since the beginning of the year, the wrestlers have been seeking the arrest of BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment charges. On Sunday, their protest site at Jantar Mantar was forcibly dismantled and they were detained in a bid to reach the new Parliament being inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Naresh, who is also the head of the powerful Balyan khap panchayat, has now given a call for a “mahapanchayat” in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday, for which leaders of all khaps in the area as well as a section of political leaders have been invited.

“I will also talk to Muzaffarnagar MP Sanjeev Baliyan (of the BJP) to seek his intervention as the whole country knows that justice is being denied to our daughters,” Naresh says, adding that he is confident the mahapanchayat will come out with a united stance on future strategy over the issue. “I am hopeful that the BJP MP will also convince his party leaders to take a decision in favour of our daughters. Or else, we will not sit idle.”

Naresh adds that convincing the wrestlers not to dump their hard-earned medals into the Ganga was not easy. “They were highly agitated (at being forcibly removed from Jantar Mantar) and I somehow managed to convince them not to take any decision in a fit of anger.”

He says he persuaded the wrestlers to hand over their medals to him, and sought five days’ time from them. “I assure them that we will have their demands fulfilled after talking to those in power… We have the DNA to fight for causes that hit the common man,” Naresh says, while expressing surprise at PM Modi’s “double standards” in felicitating sportspersons for their accomplishments but keeping total silence on this matter.

While not as visible as brother Rakesh Tikait, the BKU general secretary, in taking up issues involving their Jat community (dominant in west UP) or farmers, Naresh is widely respected across khaps, especially for his cool, measured temperament.

As sons of one of UP’s biggest farmer leaders and BKU founder Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait, the two brothers have always been active on issues concerning farmers.

Rakesh’s biggest moment came during the year-long protest by farmers on Delhi borders over the farm laws, finally leading to the Modi government revoking them. Naresh did not actively participate in the farmers’ movement.

Rakesh has also tried his luck in elections at least three times, without success, while Naresh has maintained his distance from electoral politics. Naresh’s son Gaurav says his father is determined this time to take the wrestlers’ cause forward.

Rakesh says he has appealed to his followers to join his elder brother in the fight. “The BJP government at the Centre and in the state (UP) has no concern for our daughters, but we cannot ignore them,” he says.