Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Wrestling Federation of India president and BJP MP
Phogat, Malik and other young wrestlers like them have, for years, been celebrated for infusing a new vitality into the game. In overcoming deeply-ingrained gender biases and rising to the top in a traditionally male-dominated sport, they lit the way for generations of aspiring girls and women.
In overcoming deeply-ingrained gender biases and rising to the top in a traditionally male-dominated sport, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik lit the way for generations of aspiring girls and women. As they step forward to take on Indian wrestling’s most powerful figure, the state must take their concerns seriously
By: Editorial
Updated: January 20, 2023 06:42 IST
After sexual harassment charges made by top Indian women wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Wrestling Federation of India president and BJP MP from Kaiserganj must be asked to step down. Doing so is necessary. The grave allegations made against him must be taken seriously and the right thing done by India’s wrestlers, several of whom have joined the dharna begun by Phogat and Malik at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on January 18. Once Singh has stepped down from his position, the work of investigating the allegations must be taken forward — and also of putting in place and enforcing mechanisms that can address a problem with deep roots in power imbalances and lack of governance in sport.
This latest controversy comes after another case last month, when a junior athletics coach in Haryana accused the then state sports minister, Sandeep Singh, of sexual harassment. While an FIR was lodged against Singh and he resigned the sports portfolio, he remains Minister of State, Printing and Stationery, raising questions about the fairness of the investigation into charges against him. While Singh has denied the allegations against him and remains at the helm of the wrestling body, at the press conference on Wednesday, Phogat voiced fears about taking on “powerful people”, speaking of the “10-20 girls” she knows who have been “exploited in the national camp over the past 10 years” and who are too scared to fight back because they are “not powerful”. Her words paint a vivid picture of a sport that has, for too long, been dominated by one man: A six-term MP, five from the BJP and one from the SP, Singh has been the president of the WFI for almost 10 years. The chilling effect of his grip on power in the wrestling body is evident in the fact that even India’s most decorated athletes, with medals from the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Wrestling Championships, among others, felt the need to sit on dharna in the bitter Delhi winter, rather than seek redressal through the internal complaints committee. It speaks to a lack of trust in the authorities to listen to their problems, and a sobering conviction that unless there’s a public spectacle, they don’t stand a chance.
Phogat, Malik and other young wrestlers like them have, for years, been celebrated for infusing a new vitality into the game. In overcoming deeply-ingrained gender biases and rising to the top in a traditionally male-dominated sport, they lit the way for generations of aspiring girls and women. As they step forward to take on Indian wrestling’s most powerful figure, the state must take their concerns seriously, while ensuring that they do not suffer for breaking a silence.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd