You didn’t lose but yet you’ve been defeated: Bajrang after Vinesh bids adieu to wrestling
New Delhi, Aug 8: India woke up to another shock on Thursday after a heartbroken Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling, prompting an outpouring of support from the sporting community.
The 29-year-old, who was disqualified for being 100gm overweight ahead of her 50kg category gold medal bout in the Olympics on Wednesday, announced her decision to retire on social media, saying she doesn't have the strength to continue anymore.
India’s Tokyo Olympics bronze medal winner Bajrang Punia led the tributes for Vinesh, saying she did not lose yet she has been defeated.
"Vinesh, you did not lose but yet you have been defeated. For us, you will always be a winner and along with being India’s daughter you are India’s pride as well,” he said in a post in Hindi.
Sakshi Malik, the first Indian female wrestler to win an Olympics medal — a bronze at 2016 Rio de Janeiro — said all that has transpired with Vinesh is a "defeat of every daughter of our country".
“Vinesh you were not the one who lost. It's the defeat of every daughter of our country for whom you fought,” Sakshi wrote on 'X'.
"This is a defeat for entire country. The country is with you. As an athlete I salute your struggle and passion," she said.
Dronacharya Awardee coach Mahavir Phogat said she might have taken the decision in the heat of the moment and people close to the wrestler would encourage her to aim for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"It is true, people lose heart. When she will come, we (I, Bajrang, Gita) will all sit and talk. We will take a decision and convey it. In the heat of the moment, people take such decisions but after some time, we will decide on it,” Mahavir told PTI Videos.
"We will encourage her to play 2028 Olympics. I thank (the) Haryana govt for announcing the reward. As long as I am active, I will be helping the athletes," he said.
Former sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore called the turn of events as "sad and heart breaking" and expressed solidarity with the ace wrestler.
"A sportsman life has years of struggle, ups and downs, then that important day comes to show the skills and win the game, then if this kind of mistake happens, then it is sad and heart breaking," said former shooter Rathore, who had won a silver medal in Athens Olympics in 2004.
"But I want to say to Vinesh (Phogat) that she is young and should face this challenge and move ahead with a lot of positivity. She should face it. We are all with her, a champion is the who stands after falling."
Geeta Phogat, the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, said it was "very sad" to see the way Vinesh retired from the sport.
"Sister Vinesh, we will always be we will always be indebted to you for what you have done for the country. Your passion and struggle will be remembered for centuries,” she wrote on 'X'.
"You are a role model for all girls. You saying goodbye to wrestling like this is very sad for the whole family and the whole country."
विनेश आप हारी नही हराया गया हैं, हमारे लिए सदैव आप विजेता ही रहेगी आप भारत की बेटी के साथ साथ भारत का अभिमान भी हो 🫡😭 https://t.co/oRTCPWw6tj
— Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳 (@BajrangPunia) August 8, 2024
विनेश तुम नहीं हारी हर वो बेटी हारी है जिनके लिए तुम लड़ी और जीती।
— Sakshee Malikkh (@SakshiMalik) August 8, 2024
ये पूरे भारत देश की हार है 😭
देश तुम्हारे साथ है। खिलाड़ी के तौर पे उनके संघर्ष और जज्बे को सलाम 🙏🫡@Phogat_Vinesh https://t.co/8W5MpdYUvD
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
