The prolonged stand-off between India’s international medal winning wrestlers and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, chairman of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), over allegations of the latter having taken advantage of his position to sexually harass seven women wrestlers, highlights much that is wrong with Indian sports and the justice system which seems beyond redemption.
On April 21, seven young women wrestlers, including a minor, training under the auspices of WFI mustered up courage to complain against Sharan Singh’s repeated abuse of young sportswomen training for international tournaments and championships. Claims of misconduct included inappropriate touching, soliciting sexual favours with inducements and stalking. The cause of these young sportswomen — many of them village girls who braved rural patriarchy to train for this contact sport to bring honours and medals to the country — was taken up by several Olympics and Commonwealth Games wrestling medal winners, notably Bajrang Punia and the Phogat sisters who have also been conferred national awards.
However despite repeated attempts, the Delhi police which is under the administrative control of the Union home ministry, declined to file an FIR (first information report) which is the mandatory first step towards initiating prosecution. This is because Sharan Singh is a five-term BJP Member of Parliament from the Kaiserganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh, the heart of the Hindi belt from which the BJP receives its major support. Singh reportedly commands considerable obedience, even if not respect in his pocket borough and neighbouring environs.
The latest news on this shameful imbroglio which has provoked nationwide outrage is that an FIR has been filed and the Delhi police is preparing a case against him. The Union government has promised to lodge formal prosecution proceedings against Sharan Singh by end-June. Singh meanwhile, has denied all charges and says he is “ready to be hanged” if any of the charges are proved in a court of law.
Three important lessons arise from this scandal which given the infamous law’s delay in 21st century India, is unlikely to be resolved in the near future. The first is to make the Attorney General and under him the Director of Public Prosecution’s offices independent of the Central and state governments. This has been recommended by several of post-independence India’s 22 Law Commissions (whose reports are promptly shelved) and is the reality in several common law countries, including the UK and United States. If also mandated in India, delay in filing the FIR and initiating prosecution proceedings as witnessed in the case under reference would not have arisen.
Secondly, even if legislation is not possible, a national consensus needs to be evolved that only people who have excelled in a particular sport should chair its governance councils. And third, girl children should be taught from early age that it’s legitimate self-defence to clobber sexual offenders on the spot of the offence.
