-Atreyo Mukhopadhyay
The sports ministry must be credited for devising a middle path, when there appeared to be none, in the wrestling controversy. Players adamant they would not budge from the Jantar Mantar protest site until all their demands are met and the federation chief firm that he would not resign because of sexual harassment allegations, it must have taken some persuasion and man management skill to restore order for the time being and placate both sides.
But it is far from over. There are many possibilities, including future conflicts, and quite a few questions. There are two committees looking into the matter. The one formed by the ministry has to submit its report within four weeks. The one appointed by Indian Olympic Association will do so as soon as possible. What if the wrestlers fail to provide evidence to back their claims which also include misbehaviour and administrative lapses? Will action be taken for making false allegations? And what if Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is found guilty? Will there be criminal proceedings against him? Can the two sides coexist if the allegations are found baseless, especially when the federation has refuted all charges in its reply to the ministry?
The next few days are going to be very crucial for the future of the discipline which has given India as many as six medals in the last four Olympics. Barring hockey in the game’s golden period in India decades ago, no other sport has given the country medals in four successive editions of the Olympics. Of India’s 22 individual Olympic medals, seven are from wrestling. India’s performance in the wrestling world championships has improved remarkably in the last few years.
Asian Games and world championships this year and the greatest show on earth coming up in 2023, Indian wrestling could not have plunged into a controversy of this nature at a worse moment. Medal contenders and future prospects sitting in protest at the cost of training and practise and at the risk of jeopardising their career is an unwanted sight. Thankfully, some solution has been found through which a direct confrontation is avoided. It is not a permanent solution, but one for the moment nonetheless.
It was smart on part of the ministry to work out this method wherein the federation president does not resign and “step aside from day to day functioning”. This is cleverly worded because running day to day affairs is not the job of the federation president anyway. Technically, he presides over the work done by his juniors in the governing body, like the secretary, treasurer, assistant secretary and others. And in the current situation, nobody can stop these officials from seeking the president’s inputs informally.
As far as the stand taken by the wrestlers is concerned, there are a few things worth noticing. They have made some very serious allegations. Sexual harassment is a criminal offence while administrative highhandedness and inefficiency are not light charges either, especially if levelled against a person who has been heading the federation for 12 years. Coincidentally or otherwise, Indian wrestling has scaled new heights in this period.
Also, allegations of sexual harassment have so far made by one person which is Vinesh Phogat and that too verbally. No official complaint has been lodged, no FIR filed and the federation’s sexual harassment committee has not been notified of any irregularity. Incidentally, the protesting Sakshi Malik is a member of this committee. Although Vinesh has gone on record that 20 more girls are willing to testify, none has stepped up yet. It is expected that they will disclose these information to the inquiry committees. Until then, these will remain unsubstantiated claims.
Second, one cannot force an elected president of a national sports federation to resign, unless the order comes from a court or the general body of the federation expels the president following the rules in their constitution. Then, one cannot arbitrarily disband an elected body, as the wrestlers have demanded. There are procedures to be followed and such a step cannot be taken just because they expressed lack of faith in the functioning of the federation. Such action is not approved by the International Olympic Committee either.
By finding the middle path that it has, the sports ministry has set a precedent. This is perhaps the first time that the ministry has persuaded a national sports federation president to step aside. Previously, such orders came only from the courts. The collective weight of the names protesting at Jantar Mantar — Olympic medallists Ravi Dahiya, Sakshi and Bajrang Punia, world championship medallists including Vinesh and Deepak Punia — was too important to ignore.
What next? Maybe there is room for speculation but speculating is a futile exercise at this point. Steps have to be taken judiciously while gathering and filtering information, legal experts will have to be consulted at every other juncture and one also has to take into account that the person against whom the probe will be done a year before the general elections is a heavyweight and influential leader and MP of the ruling party. This is going to be one bouquet of tricky calls. Athletes returning to where they belong is the lone silver lining after a few days of tension. The longer this lasts the better for Indian wrestling. Else, there might be damaging consequences.