India’s top wrestlers protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India’s president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh have sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to listen to their ‘Mann ki Baat’.
Earlier this week, Olympic bronze medal winners Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat, resumed their sit-in protest at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, seeking action against WFI chief, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Kaiserganj, accusing him of sexual harrassment.
The protests had first started on January 18 at the same venue. They, however, ended after marathon talks with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.
Dissatisfied with the findings of the committee – led by legendary boxer MC Mary Kom – the ministry had set up to investigate the matter, the wrestlers have resumed their protest.
“PM Modi sir talks about ‘Beti Bachao’ and ‘Beti Padhao’, and listens to everyone’s ‘mann ki baat’. Can’t he listen to our ‘mann ki baat’?,” Sakshi Malik is quoted as saying on Wednesday by PTI.
“He invites us to his home when we win medals and gives us a lot of respect and calls us his daughters. Today, we appeal to him that he listens to our ‘mann ki baat’.”
Incidentally, the centenary episode of Mann Ki Baat programme that was started on October 3 in 2014, will air on April 30. The 30-minute show, through which the PM interacts with the citizens, is aired on All India Radio on the last Sunday of every month.
Mann Ki Baat: Centre asks community radio stations to air 100th episode, send proof to I&B ministry
“We don’t have the (telephone) numbers (of relevant people) by which we can reach out to him so we are appealing to PM Modi through media to raise issues,” Phogat added.
“Maybe he can then listen to our cries. Our souls are almost dead, maybe he will notice.”
On Wednesday, former Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra tweeted about the matter, saying he was deeply concerned that the wrestlers had to resort to protesting on the streets.
“As athletes, we train hard every day to represent our country on the international stage. It is deeply concerning to see our athletes finding it necessary to protest on the streets regarding the allegations of harassment in the Indian wrestling administration,” Bindra said on his social media page late on Wednesday.
“My heart goes out to all those who have been affected. We must ensure that this issue is handled properly, with the athletes’ concerns heard and addressed fairly and independently. This incident highlights the crucial need for a proper safeguarding mechanism that can prevent harassment and ensure justice for those affected. We must work towards creating a safe and secure environment for all athletes to thrive in.”
The Supreme Court is set to hear the wrestlers’ plea against Brij Bhushan on April 28.