A JCB loader, tattooed with a ‘No Farmers, No Food’ sticker, stood waiting for newly-inducted Congress leader Vinesh Phogat. Its metal bucket, filled with rose petals, was poised in readiness, as paeans in honour of the wrestling champion echoed from loudspeakers.
“Sarkar samajh mein aayi na, chhori ke sapne maar diye... Karo swagat sherni ka, ladke aayi se… (The government didn’t understand and killed the girl’s dream. Welcome the tigress coming home after the fight),” the loudspeakers blared.
These were the scenes at a jan sampark rally in Kheema Kheri village of Haryana’s Julana constituency, where multiple Commonwealth Games medal winner, Phogat, is contesting the upcoming assembly elections on October 5. Elderly men in turbans, khap (clan-based councils) members and women swathed in dupattas filled the venue. As Phogat’s convoy arrived, young girls and budding wrestlers were pushed forward to greet their “role model”. The music switched to the cheerful Congress campaign song: “Vinesh Phogat aagyi re (Vinesh Phogat has arrived).”
After steering through the highs and lows of ‘Olympic’ proportions and locking arms with opponents on wrestling mats, Phogat has now embraced politics and stepped into its dusty pit of electioneering.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold
Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago
Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort
Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film
Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles
The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry
The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers
Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee
