New Delhi: A prominent citizens group has questioned the slow probe into sexual harassment charges made against former wrestling body chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by women grapplers.
In a statement from the “People First” platform, over 60 civil society representatives criticised the “horrible attempt to intimidate the wrestlers”, noting that there seemed to be “one set of laws and regulations for the wrestlers and another for the WFI (Wrestling Federation of India) head, who apparently holds considerable political clout”.
Singh, also a BJP MP, is accused of several instances of sexual harassment by seven women wrestlers, and faces two FIRs. After prolonged protests by India’s top wrestlers since January, the Sports Ministry assured last week that the probe against Singh would be completed by 15 June.
Two weeks before that, the wrestlers — led by Olympic and Asian Games medal winners Bajrang Punia, Sakshee Mallikh and Vinesh Phogat — intensified protests after they were forcibly pulled into police vans on 28 May while marching to the new Parliament building. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inaugurating the building at that time.
Two days later, the wrestlers met on the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar and threatened to drown their medals. They were, however, dissuaded by powerful farmer leaders who asked them to give the government more time.
The statement by citizens was particularly critical of the behaviour of the Delhi Police towards these wrestlers on 28 May. It said: “As concerned citizens, we feel distressed that India’s medal-winning women wrestlers, who brought glory to the nation, should be forced to come out into the open to complain about sexual harassment to which they were subjected by the head of the Wrestlers Federation of India (WFI). We are equally concerned at the way the entire government machinery, which is expected to safeguard women’s rights, should passively watch and remain silent, allowing investigations to proceed at a snail’s pace, at the cost of safeguarding the interests of the affected wrestlers.”
It highlighted that “the slow pace at which Delhi Police are proceeding with the investigation into the wrestlers’ complaints may result in distortion of evidence, witnesses being influenced, and the complainants being subject to intimidation, leading to denial of justice that is due to them”.
“People First” is a platform of trade unions, people’s movements, and civil society organisations seeking a decentralised, distributed democratic approach in which the public, public sector, and public services play a key role.
The signatories include professors, scientists, retired IRS and IPS officers among others. Some noted names for this letter are Retd IRS A. Selvaraj, educationist Anil Sadagopal, senior advocate Indira Jaising, economist Arun Kumar, social activist Aruna Roy, National Alliance of People’s Movements’ member Arundhati Dhuru, All India Peoples’ Science Network’s General Secretary Asha Misha , All India Union of Forest Working People’s member Ashok Choudhury, Former Secretary for government of India E A S Sarma, and economist Prabhat Patnaik, among many others.
‘Reduced to mental wrecks within weeks’
Noting the timeline of the protests and its current state, the citizens also questioned the inaction by the BJP-led Haryana state government. It pointed out that while the wrestlers’ “were hailed and heralded as the ‘Pride of Haryana’ and were heaped with gifts and cash awards for winning medals in the Olympic and Commonwealth Games”, the state government took no action at the treatment meted out to the protesting wrestlers. It also appealed to the civil society to raise their voices supporting the statutory rights of women wrestlers and pressure authorities to expedite the investigation and safeguard the wrestlers’ interests.
The statement read: “The Chief Minister of Haryana credited the state’s sports policy for the superlative achievements of the wrestlers. What happened to this ‘policy’ when these ‘rare gems’ were reduced to mental wrecks within weeks forcing them to consider dumping their precious medals at the confluence of Ganga at Haridwar while their tormentor and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president cum BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was laughing all the way to the ‘New Parliament’. The government of Haryana cannot escape responsibility for this cruel injustice,” they said.
Also read: A look at India’s Olympic medal wins, Paris to Tokyo. Wrestlers account for one fifth