Why Is The Government Wrestling With The Wrestlers?
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2023-06-01 07:07:08
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
If there was a course for learning how to avoid matters from escalating, the Centre's response to the ongoing agitation by wrestlers would have provided a brilliant case study. From the very beginning, the Centre did everything other than things that could have settled the matter in a professional and legal manner. Instead of being sensitive, the Centre tried to play politics and let the matter go out of hand, unconcerned how the agitation by medal-winning national and international wrestlers was drawing headlines worldwide and giving a bad name to both the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and the nation.
The matter was not about running the WFI in an improper manner. It was not about financial irregularities or nepotism or favouritism. The allegations against BJP MP and president of WFI, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh were serious - that of sexually harassing female wrestlers, one of whom was below 18 years of age, thus attracting POCSO. The complainants had followed the rule book. They had first complained to the federation. It was found that the sports body (like many other sports bodies in India) did not have a proper internal complaints committee for such matter as directed by the Supreme Court. If that was not bad enough, the complaints were not treated seriously. It was only then that the wrestlers started agitating to draw attention to the fact.
Initially, the protest was apolitical. The wrestlers took pains to prevent politicians from hijacking the agitation and asked CPM leader Brinda Karat (and others too) to leave when they went to show solidarity. But the BJP initially tried to cause differences among the agitating wrestlers by using its member and former international wrestler Babita Phogat to break the spirit of the wrestlers. Sports minister Anurag Thakur met them and assured them of action. A committee was formed under boxer Mary Kom to investigate the matter. The committee's report has not been made public till now. But when nothing happened, the wrestlers were forced to approach the Supreme Court. Only after that did the Delhi Police register FIRs in the case despite several female wrestlers having given their written statements earlier. The wrestlers did stop their agitation then.
But soon they realized that even after filing the FIR, the investigation was being conducted at a snail's pace despite the serious charges. They were forced to hit the streets once again. By this time, it was clear that the BJP was bent on protecting Singh. Hence, the wrestlers allowed politicians from the opposition parties to take up their case. They also started exploring other peaceful avenues, like holding mahapanchayats and marches to highlight their grievances. It was during one of the mahapanchayats and proposed march to the new Parliament building that the Delhi Police acted against them in the most shameful manner, pinning several female wrestlers to the ground before detaining them. They also cleared the agitation site. The wrestlers had then threatened to 'immerse' all their national and international medals in the Ganga. But when they reached Haridwar, they were reportedly prevented from doing so by the River Ganga Protection Committee as only religious activity was allowed near the river. Now, khaps in Haryana and Western UP, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and several trade unions, apart from opposition politicians (Mamata Banrejee joined a protest march in Kolkata on Wednesday) have also taken up the wrestlers' cause. BKU leader Naresh Tikait has threatened on May 31 that if the government does not act in 5 days, they will do 'something big'.
After that, the United World Wrestling (UWW), the body that controls wrestling worldwide and to which WFI is affiliated, took note of the agitation by Indian wrestlers on May 30 and warned the WFI that if elections to the body were not held in 45 days, it would be constrained to suspend the federation. A day later, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) also asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to protect the athletes and ensure that fair and timely elections to the WFI, as directed by the UWW, are held.
