Will quitting from wrestling and returning Padma Shri in protest by Sakshi and Punia have impact the morale of wrestlers ?
A hectic debate is going on in the sports, athletic and wrestling fraternity after the hanging of boots quitting wrestling by international woman wrestler Saakshi Malikkh and Bajrang Punia who returned his prestigious Padma Shree award in protest against the triumph of the business partner and protege of the former WFI president, muscleman and MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh , Sanjay Singh winning the election by 40-7 votes defeating the Commonwealth Gold medalist woman wrestler Sheron Sharan. Meanwhile, the deaflympics gold medalist, better known as, Goonga Pehalwan has also decided to return his Padma Shri expressing his solidarity with Sakshi Malikkh and Sanjay Punia opposing the election of the loyalist of Brijbhushan Sharan Singh as president of WFI.
Registering his strong protest over the maltreatment meted out to the women wrestlers and expressing solidarity to the objection raised by Olympics winners Sakshi Malikkh and Sanjay Punis, deaflympics Veerendra Singh wrote on social media, platform X : I will also return my Padmashri for my sister and country’s daughter. Honourable prime minister Shri Narendra Modiji I am proud of your daughter and my sister wrote Veerendra Singh on X.
Veerendra also urged the country’s legendary cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Olympian and world champion in Javelin throw Neeraj Chopra to throw light on this issue by giving their pivotal views tagging both these living legends on X.
There is hectic debate these days over the ongoing issue of Sakshi Malikkh who had been after months of struggle to seek justice from the government and prime minister compelled to quit wrestling despite bringing several gold and bronze medals for the country in Olympics and world Championships in wrestling with the former chief of WFI having the upper hand after his business partner and protege won the WFI president ship defeating the Commonwealth wrestling gold medalist Anita Sheoran badly. The returning of the prestigious Padma Shri by Olympian wrestler Bajrang Punia has funded added fuel to fire of this issue.
Kindly recall that these woman wrestlers seeking justice against their alleged mental and sexual harrasment at the hands of the former chief of WFI had been struggling hard at Jantar Mantar for several days not once but twice and were given false assurances not justice said international wrestler Sakshi Mallikkh finally the same group led by Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, MP against whom they have registered complaints and FIRs have again returned on the saddle of WFI winning the elections.
According to the letter left behind with his Padma Shri medal Bajrang Punia had written:
You must be aware that the women wrestlers of the country commenced the protest in January this year against Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, levelling charges of sexual harrasment. I too had joined the protest. The protest was given up after the government assured us of strong action. But even after three months there wasn’t any action against Brijbhushan, no FIR. This compelled us to come on the streets again to enable Delhi Police file an FIR against him. There were 19 complainants in January but by April the number came down to 7. This clearly led us to believe that Brijbhushan has exerted influence/pressure on 12 wrestlers to leave their protests adding that our protest further went in for forty days. There was tremendous pressure on us during these struggling days. Our protest site was vandalised and we weren’t allowed to protest anymore. Since we did not know what to do then, we went to immerse our medals in Ganges. Then a minister from your cabinet came to us assuring for justice shortly. We also met the Union home minister and were duty assured of justice. So we stopped our protest. Sports has empowered our women athletes and changed their lives but the situation is such that the women who could have been the brand ambassadors of ” BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO”, are now leaving the sport. And we the wrestlers who were awarded, couldn’t do anything. I can’t live my life as a Padma Shri awardee when our women wrestlers are insulted. Hence I return this award to you revealed the statement of the Olympian wrestler having brought several laurels for the nation.
Speaking to reporters Punia said it is sad to see Brijbhushan being garlanded amd cheered. What about the government’s assurance to women wrestlers of delivering justice to them asked Bajrang Punia who is credited for being the first Indian wrestler to be ranked Number one in the world in any weight category including first wrestler/ Indian to win four international championship medals viz Silver in 2018, Bronze, 2013, 19, 22, Bronze in Tokyo Olympics in 2020, Silver and Bronze in two Asian Games, two gold and Silver in Commonwealth Games. Two gold, four silver and two Bronze in Asian championships. Silver in 2017 in World Championships. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2019, Khel Ratna in 2019, and Arjuna Award in 2015.
