Sportspersons and athletes have in the past raised voices against injustice committed in the name of gender, race, religion, etc.Those in power have always misused their position. So, if Singh and his party are taking law into their own hands, it is understandable, writes Soroor Ahmed
Just hours before the inauguration of the foreign ministers meet of the Shanghai CooperationOrganisation at Goa on May 4, 2023, Delhi Police allegedly targeted internationally reputed wrestlers,including women, in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. At least one of them suffered injuries in the attack carriedout late on May 3 night.
The incident naturally attracted attention of the domestic as well as global media though some Indianchannels initially tried to downplay it. Not only that, the four months long agitation led by women’sathletes against the sexual harassment got a lukewarm response from several sportspersons, especiallycricketers, many of them considered national icons.
COMPARISON WITH IRAN
Now the whole development needs to be seen in a different light. Before the kick off of the first FIFAWorld Cup match against England in Qatar on November 21 last year Iranian team refused to sing thenational anthem to show solidarity towards the agitating women of that country. A few days earlier, thenational team of waterpolo and basketball also refused to sing the national anthem in internationalevents in Thailand and Tehran respectively. Other individual players also protested against the allegedhighhandedness of authorities in dealing with the situation which arose after the death of 22-year-old woman, MahsaAmini in the police custody on September 16, 2022.
In the first week of December 2022, authorities in Iran announced that Morality Police which used toimplement the hijab rule, was abolished. A couple of months later the movement fizzled out. Though somepeople were punished for inciting violence in which many died, the country pardoned and released 82,000prisoners on the eve of Ramadhan in March. Out of this 22,000 were those who were arrested during theprotest demonstration throughout the country in the last five months.
INDIAN SCENARIO
In democratic India women wrestlers seeking justice against their alleged sexploitation at the hands ofthe president of the Wrestling Federation of India, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a powerful BJP MP,prodded the cricketing greats to issue statements in their favour. But none uttered a word. It was onlyfamous retired all-rounder, Kapil Dev, who came out in their favour. Perhaps this was more because manyof these wrestlers came from his home state, Haryana.
It was after the Supreme Court’s intervention that the First Information Reports (FIRs) could be lodgedagainst Singh after four long months. This was something unthinkable when the alleged victims arewomen.
Incidentally, our cricketers are more concerned about injustice against the African-Americans andshowed their solidarity towards their movement, Black Life Matters. The truth is that it was just anexercise to attract global media attention, otherwise they would certainly have stood for the cause ofwomen players back in India.
Expecting any such gesture during the 100-odd day Anti-CAA-cum-NRC sit-in is unthinkable yet theirsilence during the year-long farmers’ movement was mysterious. In fact, Sachin Tendulkar tweeted infavour of the government and thus came under heavy criticism from the farmers who were opposing thethree farm laws. Needless to mention some 800 farmers died in the sit-ins outside Delhi.
Two years later P T Usha went a step ahead of the cricketing giant – she criticised the women wrestlersfor taking to the streets. While Tendulkar is a former Rajya Sabha member (2012-18), Usha was nominatedto the Upper House of Parliament in Julylast year.
However, when on May 3 Usha, who is also the president of the Indian Olympic Association, reached theJantar Mantar, the venue where the wrestlers have been protesting, she was greeted by hostile slogans.Later the same night the unsavoury incident took place.
PERTINENT QUESTION
But the big question is: do our cricketers fear that they would be axed or penalised. If this is thecase, they should learn from Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic gold-medallist, who threw his lot behind thewrestlers. Badminton ace Sania Mirza also extended support to the wrestlers on the plea that she isnot only a sportsperson but a woman, too. Chopra deserves kudos as he is not at the end of his careeryet he took a principled stand.
Unlike other sportspersons, cricketers in India are virtually worshipped and everyone looks towards themfor their response on any burning issue related to the sportspersons. In India hardly anybody is askingfor the response of football or hockey team, but certainly from cricketers.
In Iran, footballers, like cricketers in India, are highly adored and respected by the people. Whetherthey did right or wrong is not the issue. But what is of significance is that they at least had thecourage to raise their voice against the government before the international audience. Here in India, weare not even ready to tweet even after the police highhandedness. Other sportspersons in Iran alsoexpressed themselves notwithstanding the fact that the whole movement had turned violent.
MOROCCO CASE
Why just Iran. The Moroccan football team, which reached the semi-final stage in the last World Cup,openly raised slogans in favour of Palestine during all their matches. The Moroccan and other Arab fanstoo cheered them. They did so fully knowing the rule laid down by the FIFA and the stand of theMoroccan government, which only months backed had signed Abraham Accord with Israel. The monarchy inMorocco recently established diplomatic ties with the Jewish state.
These are just a handful of recent examples. Sportspersons and athletes have in the past raised voicesagainst injustice committed in the name of gender, race, religion, etc.
Those in power have always misused their position. So, if Singh and his party are taking law intotheir own hands, it is understandable. What is puzzling is the stand of the media, other sportspersons andchampions of women’s right. And that too when the charges levelled are quite serious.