Silence is ‘not’ golden

Two images two contrasting emotionsOne of an Olympic medallist tearing up with a lost hope playing in mind the other of an alleged sexual predator flashing a victory sign and taking pride in being bedecked with a dozen flower garlands by his addictsIf Sakshi Malikrsquos retirement from the sport wasnrsquot enough fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia did his bit the following day by returning his Padma Shri award and leaving it on a footpath near Kartavya Path for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his deafening silenceAlso ReadKnights find their number oneMore than 12 months have passed by since Indiarsquos most decorated wrestlers took to the streets accusing the then Wrestling Federation of India WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan of sexual harassment and intimidation and demaning his resignation and dissolution of the federation Through it all PM Modi has been neither seen nor heardHow do individuals find peace when there is no justiceWhen the perpetrator goes scotfree When the legal system and most importantly the country fails themWhen an image of Punia or Malik comes to mind one thinks of their countless hours on the mat attempting to flip their opponents or launching counterattacks to convert a situation to their own advantage during a sparring session not them having to read newspaper reports detailing how Singh continues to be sheltered by lsquomen in powerrsquoAlso ReadTime to reset as Mumbai Indians enter transitionNearly six years after lsquoMeToorsquo gained ground as a viral hashtag on X formerly Twitter with survivors recounting their stories of sexual abuse the cultural impact is still being felt in the national capitalWrestlersrsquo fight for justice comes at a price and a steep one With neither doors to knock on nor shoulders for support Like a compass needle that always points towards the north the accusing finger for every ill in our country points towards victims This case is no different What follows is a concoction of irrational judgement and unwarranted scrutinyWhen MidDay contacted Singhrsquos BJP office in Kaiserganj in the wee hours of Sunday morning for his views on governmentrsquos suspension of the newlyelected WFI one of his assistants said lsquowe are not answerable to the mediarsquo and that the issue would be taken up with the Sports Ministry in due course No sooner had he ceased speaking than WFI president Sanjay Singh came to his own defense in a detailed media interactionBrij Bhushan meanwhile was his own self under the reign of his cunning egotism but something about him remained unsettled through the press conference Reassuring that he and Sanjay are not relatives the 66yearold MP attempted to carefully drift apart from the ongoing WFI controversy Perhaps his meeting with BJP national president JP Nadda on Saturday had a considerable bearing on his conduct who knowsUpon enquiring about details of his meeting with Nadda a WFI insider answered in a fourword reply lsquoHis influence is unavoidablersquo Although irrelevant to the question his response sends a dreadful message but it is not without precedentFrom launching political attacks on the complainant wrestlers to mincing no words in declaring his dominance Brij Bhushan has done it all He may not be the president any longer but his effect on the lives of several women wrestlers will ring out time and again in the battle against their own emotionsDisclaimer The views expressed here are the authors personal views and do not necessarily represent the views of MidDay