Skip to main content

Arrest BJP MP for sexual harassment, abuse of power: NAPM on women wrestlers' protest

Counterview Desk 

India's top civil society network, the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), even as solidarising with protesting women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, has demanded that BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, who happens to be President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), should be arrested for "on grounds of repeated instances of sexual harassment and abuse of power."
Seeking democratization of India's sports federations, NAPM said, an independent inquiry should be conducted into the matter, "given the apathy, inaction and non-accountability on part of the WFI and Government of India".
It regretted in a statement, even a decade after passing of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013, "over half of the sports federations in India still have not set up Internal Complaints Committees to prevent sexual violence and harassment at workplace."

Text:

National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) expresses full solidarity with the women wrestlers of our country who have been agitating for action against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and BJP MP from Kaiserganj (UP), on grounds of repeated instances of sexual harassment and abuse of power.
We condemn the callousness and high-handedness of the Union Government that has not only failed to act on the serious charges (FIRs) against Brij Bhushan Singh (two under the POCSO Act), but has been actively protecting him, despite the matter having been raised repeatedly, over the last two years by the women wrestling champions, meriting intervention even by the Supreme Court.
The entire country and the world-at-large has been witnessing this sordid saga of the internationally renowned wrestlers having to fight for justice, protesting again at Jantar Mantar since 23rd April 2023, while those in high positions of power are doing everything possible to not only deny them justice and the right to protest, but also discredit them and previous democratic movements, such as the farmers protests.
Going by current information, the ‘committee’ constituted by the Sports Ministry and IOA seems more like an eye-wash. We are, therefore, fully supportive of the demand that Mr. Singh be expelled as WFI President and an independent inquiry be conducted into the matter, given the apathy, inaction and non-accountability on part of the WFI and Government of India.
We also strongly denounce the manner in which the Delhi Police has manhandled the protestors, be it at Jantar Mantar or in other parts of Delhi, attempting to forcibly disband the rightful and peaceful gathering, inflicting abuse and violence on sportspersons and students, and denying the democratic right to protest, in face of systemic apathy.
It is amply clear that people like Mr. Singh are indicative of the criminalization and corruption within the institutions of this Government, who seem to receive patronage at the highest levels, including from the Prime Minister and Home Minister.
WFI chief
Sexual violence and harassment at work places is a serious offence and given its all-pervasive prevalence in all workspaces, the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013 was enacted by the Indian Parliament, after protracted struggles by the feminist movements in India.
It is a colossal shame that even a decade after passing of the law, over half of the sports federations in India still have not set up Internal Complaints Committees, mandatory for all governmental and private organizations in the country. This is but one indicator of the utterly patriarchal nature of public, institutional and workspaces in our society.
Akin to its miserable role in previous instances like Kathua, Gujarat, Hathras, this episode has, yet again, exposed the hollowness and complicity of the Government that raises empty slogans of ‘empowering’ women and girls, even as it protects the powerful perpetrators and its own vested interests.
That even those who brought laurels to the country are not spared the wrath of the regime, speaks volumes. In such a scenario, it is indeed heartening to witness the swelling strength and solidarity to the wrestlers struggle in Delhi and across rural and urban India, much needed in the current times, to take on the arrogance of the fascists-in-power, even as many ‘celebrities’ choose to remain mum or take the side of the oppressors.
We demand:
  • Govt of India must immediately arrest Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, based on FIRs filed.
  • An independent inquiry must be instituted into all the charges of sexual harassment, corruption and abuse of authority by Mr. Singh and WFI.
  • The right to protest of the wrestlers and those in solidarity with them must be fully upheld and legal action must be taken against the police officials for their violent excesses.
  • Democratization of all Sports Federations and bodies, replacing corrupt, abusive persons in positions of power, with those who are competent and committed to the well-being of sportspersons and sport.
  • Implementation of Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013 in full letter and spirit, across all workplaces.

Comments

TRENDING

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor*  Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas*  November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.  

Outreach programme in medical education: Band-aids for compound fractures

By Amitav Banerjee, MD*  Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) of India, introduced two curricular changes in medical education, both at the undergraduate and the postgraduate levels, ostensibly to offer opportunities for quality medical education and to improve health care accessibility among the underserved rural and urban population.

United organisations oppose privatisation of health services in Madhya Pradesh

By Our Representative  In a strong show of opposition, multiple health associations under the umbrella of the United Organisations for Action against Privatisation of Health Services have condemned the Government of Madhya Pradesh’s recent moves towards privatising public health facilities. They argue that these actions, including outsourcing and the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, will compromise the availability and accessibility of essential health services for the state’s citizens.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad*  On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. 

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad*  The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Are Kashmir's porous borders turning region into 'convenient entry point' for drugs flowing into India?

By Raqif Makhdoomi*  Drug addiction has become a serious problem, affecting not only Kashmir but communities worldwide. In the shadowy world of drug trafficking, vast networks and powerful organizations play pivotal roles. These criminal enterprises, often bolstered by influential backers, operate with impunity, profiting from human suffering. For those able to evade law enforcement, drug trafficking can lead to staggering wealth; even at a local level, small-time peddlers can earn substantial sums. Despite international efforts to curb this menace, the drug syndicate is highly complex, eluding even the most determined governmental crackdowns due to its global reach and the powerful networks that support it.