New Delhi: International Booker winner Geetanjali Shree has expressed solidarity with the wrestlers protesting at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar against the Delhi Police’s prolonged refusal to register an FIR against a BJP MP and the Wrestling Federation of India’s chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over serious allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him.
She is the most well known of contemporary writers to have written publicly in support of the wrestlers, who have noted time and again that their voices are being drowned out in favour of Singh because he belongs to the ruling party.
“To obtain simple justice, our ace wrestlers, forsaking their work and security, have been forced to mount an agitation and to approach the Supreme Court. It is painful and a national shame,” Shree said in the statement.
A day ago, the Supreme Court was told by the Delhi Police that it would register an FIR on the matter and that it had found “after preliminary enquiry” that such a step could be taken.
“What as a people have we done to ourselves? Justice should be available as a matter of course and not require agitation and knocking at the Supreme Court’s door,” Shree noted in a statement.
“Even as private a person as me feels constrained to come out of my solitude and condemn this atrocity. That it is to do with our ‘national treasures’, and to do with women, absolutely cannot let anyone be quiet,” she further said.
Indian football legend Bhaichung Bhutia was among noted personalities who tweeted on Saturday expressing solidarity with the wrestlers.
I stand in solidarity with my sisters @Phogat_Vinesh, @SakshiMalik, and all others who are fighting for justice. pic.twitter.com/sn2dudMRcD
— Bhaichung Bhutia (@bhaichung15) April 29, 2023
Former hockey captain Viren Rasquinha also noted his awe at the show of courage.
I am in awe of the courage shown by @Phogat_Vinesh @BajrangPunia & @SakshiMalik . They are all at the final stage of their brilliant careers and could have just walked into the sunset. But they chose to fight the difficult fight to make sport a safer place for young girls & boys.
— Viren Rasquinha (@virenrasquinha) April 28, 2023
A day after Indian Olympic Association chief P.T. Usha said the ongoing protest by wrestlers “amounted to indiscipline,” top athletes of the country like Neeraj Chopra, Sania Mirza and Nikhat Zareen had tweeted their support. Olympic gold winner Abhinav Bindra had tweeted in support on April 26.