No action on wrestlers' demand, khaps to hold panchayat in Meham today

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, May 20

After failing to mount pressure on the Centre for accepting protesting wrestlers’ demand for the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, khap leaders are now all set to hold a ‘Sarv Khap Panchayat’ at the historical ‘Chaubisi Chabutra’ (a platform of 24 villages) in Rohtak’s Meham town on Sunday to decide the next course of action.

The decision to convene the ‘Sarv Khap Panchayat’ in Meham was taken by leaders of khap panchayats from different states, when they met in Delhi on May 7 in a show of support for the protesting wrestlers. They had served a two-week ultimatum on the Centre to arrest the WFI chief by May 20 or face a major action by the khaps on May 21.

Representatives of over 200 khaps panchayats from Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttarakhand have been invited by the Meham Chaubisi khap panchayat, the organiser, to attend the event for seeking their suggestions on strengthening the role of khap panchayats in the wrestlers’ protest.

“There will be no more ultimatums. Now, the khap panchayats will take a decisive call against the Centre. The ball is in our court and a historical decision will be pronounced in Meham on Sunday,” Mehar Singh Numbardar, chief, Meham Chaubisi panchayat, told The Tribune while inspecting the panchayat venue in Meham on Saturday.

He said besides khaps, leaders of farm unions would also participate in the meeting for which all preparations had been made. “A decisive call will be taken unanimously after discussing the situation,” he said.

Surendra Solanki, chief of Delhi’s leading khap Palam Khap 360, said no message from the Centre and other authorities had so far been received regarding accepting wrestlers’ demand or holding a meeting in this regard. “So we are forced to hold a Sarv Khap Panchayats in Meham on Sunday to strengthen the protest. All khaps from Delhi and UP will be attending the meeting,” he said.

Virendra Singh Hooda, general secretary, BKU (Kisan Sarkar), said all farm unions were united over the issue and would fully support the khap panchayats’ decision.

Show of solidarity

• Leaders of khap panchayats from different states had met in Delhi on May 7 in a show of support for the protesting wrestlers
• They had served a two-week ultimatum on the Centre to arrest the WFI chief by May 20 or face a major action on May 21
• Leaders from 200 khaps are likely to attend the panchayat