Bhaichung slams action on wrestlers

SANKHA GHOSH, SNS, SILIGURI, 30 MAY 2023 : Former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia has regretted that most sports personalities, especially cricketers, have remained silent over the police crackdown on wrestlers in New Delhi on Sunday.

"It is unfortunate that most of the sportspersons, especially cricketers, who are treated as icons, keeping silent on this issue. I don of know why they are not speaking out," Mr Bhutia said.

Delhi Police, which reports to the Centre, had detained and roughed up India's protesting wrestlers as they tried to march towards the new parliament building, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the same amid a boycott by 19 Opposition parties as they were protesting at Jantar Mantar for over a month, demanding the Wrestling Federation of India's president and BJP parliamentarian Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh be arrested on sexual harassment charges on several women grapplers, including a minor.

Police launched the clampdown when several wrestlers, including Olympic medalists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia and Asian Games champion Vinesh Phogat and their supporters, tried to march to organise the 'Mahila Samman Panchayat outside the new Parliament building to protest the alleged inaction by the government against Mr Singh.

Olympic gold medalist Neeraj (hope, India's first individual Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri, and former India cricketer Irfan Pathan were among a handful of sports personalities who have protested the incident.

The 46-year-old football icon, who is associated with various philanthropic activities, condemned the incident.

"The incident was very unfortunate, the way the top wrestlers of India were treated when they were demanding justice. It made me sad. They have made sacrifices in their lives and made the country proud. It should not have been dealt in such a manner," Mr Bhutia said.

Meanwhile, different political organisations staged protests in Sffiguri on Monday against the alleged "barbaric" police crackdown on the wrestlers.

SFI and DYFI, the student and youth wings of the CPI-M respectively, All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO), All India Democratic Youth Organisation (A IDYO),All India Mahila Sanskritik Sanghatan (AIMSS) and All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), affiliated to the SUCI(C) held separate protest marches to condemn the incident on Monday.

"The entire country was shocked at the brutal crackdown on the protesting wrestlers. On one side the much-hyped 'Temple of Democracy'—new Parliament building-- was inaugurated in an democratic manner, on the other hand when the wrestlers protesting against the sexual harassment of women grapplers on the road over a month were dragged away, manhandled in a barbaric manner. They were detained for a long time, but later booked on different charges, including rioting and obstructing public servants in discharge of duties. We strongly condemn the incident and also protest against the inaction in order to save the accused federation chief. 

We observed black day on Monday. We express our solidarity with the protesting wrestlers," said AIDYO state committee secretary Malay Paul. The organisations have demanded immediate arrest of Mr Singh.