‘Touched inappropriately’, wrestlers’ case outcome to set an example (IANS FairPoint)

By Deepika Bhan

For any female, it is not easy to come out after experiencing an "inappropriate touch", and more difficult and embarrassing is to prove it and make the world believe. While going through the FIR copy filed by the Delhi Police in the protesting wrestlers' case after the intervention of the Supreme Court, a sense of shock and sadness is palpable.

Questions are galore and the most disturbing is why is the person not behind bars.

For the female wrestlers who have come out, the decision to do so must have been the most difficult. At stake was everything, but the pain of what they endured was perhaps too unbearable.

The details in the FIR are too disturbing. What goes behind the scenes is never known by the people who sit in front to watch.

What the wrestlers have said may not be an eyeopener since earlier also women from different fields have come out. The most talked about was the "Me Too" campaign.

But what sets this case apart is the women involved are no commoners. They are stars eulogised by millions and presented as the torchbearers. They touch people's hearts, and when they made the revelations, a feeling of disbelief descended. The people's feelings were also manifested through a survey carried out by IANS.

An exclusive survey conducted by CVoter for IANS revealed that a majority of Indians not only support the female wrestlers who have levelled charges of sexual harassment and molestation against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, but also want the police to arrest him as soon as possible. Close to 56 per cent of the respondents agreed with the demand of wrestlers to arrest WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

If Brij Bhushan was not an MP, the situation would have been different. Therefore, the fight of the women becomes all the more gruelling.

There are some who are saying that the women are playing to the political galleries, but the question - why would the women put everything at risk? - is more weighing.

Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia are the country's top wrestlers who showcase their skills in just six-minutes that they have taken years to sharpen. Normal people's minds may freeze in challenging situations, but these wrestlers have proven their brilliant skills in toughest competitions. And when they talk about wrong things happening, the government and the society has to listen. The society is listening as revealed by the IANS survey, but the government seems to be taking its own time. As said, any commoner accused would have been in jail under the stringent POCSO Act. But in this case, the accused is defiant, and continues to be glued to the top seat, the chief of Wrestling Federation of India.

In normal course he should have politely stepped down or moved away. But his taking the cover of men connected with religion or community, has tried to complicate the situation. He may claim innocence, he may say he is being "framed", he may say it's a fallout of political or wrestling rivalry. But somehow, his face no longer seems to be clean. The FIR details are too gory and shocking.

"... I was deeply shocked and traumatised by the acts of Singh that I could not sleep or eat properly for the next few days. Being a young professional at the said time, I could not even muster the courage to speak about the incident to anyone, let alone reporting the same to the authorities as Singh was an influential and powerful person...," said one of the victims in the FIR while giving details about the inappropriate touch.

The wrestlers' case is no mess. It is more about dignity and honour. Most of the women wrestlers hail from humble backgrounds who have risen by dint of hard work and passion for their sport. Sakshi Malik does not hail from a wrestler family. Her father was a driver in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). Vinesh was nine when her father was shot dead, and within a year of her father's death, her mother was detected with cancer. Both girls have struggled and reached the top, and their medals speak about the amount of hard work they have done.

What they have said may be labelled as "allegations" which are being probed by Delhi Police, but they need to be probed honestly and perpetrators not saved.

Women have often found themselves being touched inappropriately in public places or by someone known, or in office or even in homes. There are certain IPC sections under which such a behaviour is punishable. Even the Vishaka Guidelines have defined "physical contact and advances" and "any other unwelcome physical... non-verbal conduct of sexual nature" as forms of sexual harassment.

There are several women who have challenged the influential and the powerful, and some have been silently fighting their battles against all odds. For them in particular and for all women in general, the outcome of the wrestlers' case will have bearing.

The laws are there, and punishments can also happen. And, this case and its outcome will be watched closely.

(Deepika Bhan can be contacted at deepika.b@ians.in)

Source: IANS