As the protesters unfurled banners and lit candles, the gathering said, “This is just the spark that should lead to a blaze.” Sylvia D’Souza, one of them, added, “We may be many miles away, but the subject is close to home for so many women.” “Is this the way we respect and support our wrestlers, who brought glory to India?” asked Violet D’Souza, another member of the gathering. One Winnie Saldanha angrily pointed out, “The problems of the grapplers seem to be royally ignored”

Activist Milind Ranade sounded the brave bugle, asking for sportspersons to join the good fight. “We have many, like chess champ Pravin Thipsay, who have joined us in the quest for justice for these women. We have Anil Kumble, the 1983 World Cup winning cricket team supporting these women.” Neeraj Chopra has proved the gold is not just around his neck, but in his heart too. The javelin Olympic gold medallist has supported the wrestlers and that is simply humongous

‘Mumbai has mumbled for too long, now let us thunder’—this was the message of the Goregaon gathering. Bombay Catholic Sabha (BCS) President Dolphy D’Souza, who called the meeting, said, “This is to show that a large section of Mumbaikars, too, stand with our wrestlers. When there is an FIR under POCSO, there has to be an arrest. This has not happened, which points to the moral decay of governance. Is ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ only a feel-good slogan? Which woman or girl would feel safe here?” asked D’Souza

Members of the Youth Congress and citizens protest against sexual harassment by Brijbhushan Singh at the Maharya Gandhi statue near Mantralaya in Mumbai (Pic/Shadab Khan)

Young girls protest and demand Justice for the Women Wrestlers against sexual harassment incidents highlighted against the WFI chief Brijbhushan Singh (Pic/Shadab Khan)