In an unprecedented move that has generated a lot of heat, India’s leading Wrestlers hit the streets breaking gender discrimination Last week. Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia led the dharna at Jantar Mantar and their anger was directed at the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Vinesh accused Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment and said that she had even thought of suicide. Sakshi and Punia also insisted that all is not well in the functioning of the WFI. meanwhile federation denied all charges And pointed to a ‘Haryana lobby’ which was trying to defame the President in the elections to the association. Brij Bhushan, who is also the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Uttar Pradesh, stuck to his denial while the aggrieved athletes dug their heels in, reiterating their sit-in for one more day besides holding several meetings with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur. While it is a case of fiery allegations and flat denials for now, the incident exposes the deep rooted malaise at the bottom of India’s game. In a largely patriarchal country, a rural female athlete’s first contact with a male outside the immediate family environment is often a coach or sports administration official. If this trust is violated, the athlete is scarred for life.
There is the rare ideal coach-athlete equation based on mutual respect, but there are also exploitative tales beneath the surface. The deafening silence was about to end and the medal winning and much awaited wrestlers have taken the first step. Now five member monitoring committee The committee constituted by the Sports Minister has to follow up on the allegations and reach the truth. The responsibility given to Olympian Mary Kom, who heads the committee, should put both the parties at ease. Mary Kom and her fellow members must reveal both empathy and a determined pursuit of truth. Coming from the ruling party, Brij Bhushan should not be a burden and the Sports Ministry has done well by forcing the WFI president to step aside from the day-to-day running of the federation. It is a known fact that politicians cutting across party lines are part of India’s sports administrative ecosystem. Attracted by the soft power of sport and the goodwill it generates, most sports bodies have politicians in important positions. The power they wield within these federations and the phone calls they can make back in New Delhi create a suffocating atmosphere. Wrestlers need to back their allegations with evidence and the latest episode provides an opportunity to the administration to come clean.