Wrestlers' protest: Appeal to Sachin Tendulkar to speak up for wrestlers

It was business unusual late Monday evening, as a group of people congregated in Goregaon West to show solidarity with wrestlers who were protesting in Delhi. They demanded what they said was the, "long overdue arrest of BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh."

Top Indian wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, had been hunkering down at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, demanding the arrest of Singh for sexually assaulting seven wrestlers, including a minor.

The protest reached a flashpoint when they marched towards the new Parliament complex, which was being inaugurated by the prime minister on May 28. The grapplers were manhandled, hauled away by cops and detained in high voltage drama. At the same time, cops cleared their protest site - Jantar Mantar.

It's time

‘Mumbai has mumbled for too long, now let us thunder' - this was the message of the Goregaon gathering. Bombay Catholic Sabha (BCS) President Dolphy D'Souza, who called the meeting, said, "This is to show that a large section of Mumbaikars, too, stand with our wrestlers. When there is an FIR under POCSO, there has to be an arrest. This has not happened, which points to the moral decay of governance. Is ‘beti bachao, beti padhao' only a feel-good slogan? Which woman or girl would feel safe here?" asked D'Souza.

Candles, banners

As the protesters unfurled banners and lit candles, the gathering said, "This is just the spark that should lead to a blaze." Sylvia D'Souza, one of them, added, "We may be many miles away, but the subject is close to home for so many women." "Is this the way we respect and support our wrestlers, who brought glory to India?" asked Violet D'Souza, another member of the gathering. One Winnie Saldanha angrily pointed out, "The problems of the grapplers seem to be royally ignored."

Activist Milind Ranade speaks out at the Tuesday meet. Pic/Sameer Markande

As shouts of "shame, shame" rent the air, professor Arvind Nigale said emphatically, "We must gather in public places to protest."On the accusation that the sports stars brought disrepute to the country [through their protest], the academician added, "It is PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah who are bringing disrepute to the nation by not taking cognisance of the matter. Many claimed that India has been shamed internationally by scandal traversing at the speed of light in a world where borders have melted away.

The fight

The Monday gathering was followed by a fiery press conference on Tuesday afternoon at SoBo's Marathi Patrakar Sangh at Azad Maidan. A mix of activists and sportspersons announced a signature campaign at Shivaji Park on Friday "to spread awareness among the public".

Activist Sangeeta Joshi said, "People are interested in this aandolan but we need louder voices. The sentiment sweeping through is that if Olympic champs cannot get justice then what about ordinary women? I have heard questions like ‘why did these women not speak out earlier', ‘why speak now after you have medals and fame'? We need to introspect about victim blaming."

Mahendra Chemburkar, former champion gymnast, said, "There were questions like ‘why other sports persons are not supporting these gymnasts', but now we have a channel through which we can do so." Manohar Salvi, sports administrator, added, "There is fear in an athlete's mind, as he or she takes on a person who has power over one's career. The Indian Olympic Association must speak up. We are waiting to hear from them. Now, however, there is no going back."

An appeal

Activist Milind Ranade sounded the brave bugle, asking for sportspersons to join the good fight. "We have many, like chess champ Pravin Thipsay, who have joined us in the quest for justice for these women. We have Anil Kumble, the 1983 World Cup winning cricket team supporting these women." Neeraj Chopra has proved the gold is not just around his neck, but in his heart too. The javelin Olympic gold medallist has supported the wrestlers and that is simply humongous.

"We're waiting for someone like Sachin Tendulkar to extend his support. Imagine Tendulkar, holding a candle and standing at the Gateway of India in support of the wrestlers…that might change the complexion of this satyagraha completely," Ranade said. Activist Firoze Mithiborwala said on a note of finality, "The time for prevarication is over. We demand the immediate arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh." The opinions were many, but the overall mood was - Mumbai it is time to pin our leaders on to the mat, because in this battle, there are no medals for silence.

9 June
Day they plan a signature campaign