New Delhi (TIP)– India’s top wrestlers suspended their protest against sexual harassment till June 15 after a six-hour-long meeting with Union sports minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday, June 7, marking the first sign of resolution in the months-long deadlock in talks between the players and the government amid indications that options were narrowing for former wrestling federation boss Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Satyavrat Kadian along with some of their coaches met Thakur at his residence and later said that they were satisfied with the talks and withdrew their protest till June 15, by when a charge sheet against Singh will be filed. Singh is facing two first information reports (FIRs) alleging sexual harassment, one by a group of six women wrestlers and another by a minor complainant.
“It’s a very positive development and everyone was understanding with each other. We want them to be back on the mat as soon as possible for the Asian Games and the Olympics,” Thakur told HT after the meeting.
The wrestlers and the government also agreed on a raft of other issues, including withdrawal of all criminal cases against the wrestlers, setting up of an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) within Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) with a female chief, security for the complainants, removal of Singh and his associates from WFI, scrapping of cases against affiliated academies, coaches and athletes, and transparent elections to WFI by June 30. HT has seen a copy of the list of wrestlers’ demands that the sports ministry agreed on.
The meeting, which began at around 11am and ended by 5pm, was termed “successful and positive” by Thakur.
“I extended an invitation to wrestlers on behalf of the government yesterday. The discussions happened on a lot of sensitive issues in a very conducive environment. The talks were very positive and our meeting went on for about six hours,” Thakur later told reporters.
“Police will file a charge sheet by June 15 and WFI elections will be held by June 30. The wrestlers demanded an Internal Complaints Committee be formed within WFI and its president should be a woman,” Thakur said.
The meeting is a welcome development after months of logjam between the government and the wrestlers. The positive signs from both sides showed that a resolution was likely soon in what is a very important year for Indian sport.
Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian from Kaiserganj who has lorded over Indian wrestling for 12 years, is facing charges of sexual harassment of athletes, including at least one minor. Though he has been removed from WFI, which stands suspended, and two FIRs have been filed against him, he is yet to be arrested. Source: HT