On Tuesday, 30th May, the wrestlers, in a bid to intensify their ‘protest’, announced that they will immerse their medals into Maa Ganga at Haridwar. And even though they have now announced that they are giving a 5-day ‘deadline’, a question which is to be raised here, and rightly so, is whether the wrestlers have been wronged by the law of the land? Is it that the law failed the protestors, and is not doing the needful, because of which they have to take such drastic steps?
In the meantime, the Ganga Aarti Samiti has rightly said a place of religious importance cannot become a protest-stage. This indeed, is a downright insult to the reverence Maa Ganga has.
Coming back, all the ‘immersing medals’ and ‘fast unto death’ seem absolutely illogical when the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has already stopped all its operations, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is no more the chief of the organization, the FIR has already been filed against him, and the Supreme Court has closed this case. Also, for every supporter of these wrestlers, who feels that democracy is dying, it is crucial to look at the nuances of this case.
To start off, the plea of the wrestlers was for the police to register an FIR against the accused, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, which has been done. Secondly, the Supreme Court too, has noted in this matter that the complainants sought an FIR against Singh and security for the complainants, and both of the demands have been fulfilled, hence, the apex court of the country closed the case. It has also said that if there is something else which is required, the wrestlers can approach the lower courts or high courts.
Along with this, the WFI committee has been dissolved by the government, and hence, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is not its chief anymore. The government had also set up an investigating committee, headed by Mary Kom, to look into the case and the allegations levelled by the wrestlers.
But despite all the steps which have been taken by the police, the judiciary, and the government, why is it that the protestors are not ready to show faith in the law of the land? Protesting and demanding justice is fine and acceptable, but that should not be the case when all the required steps have been taken and the investigation in the matter is going on. Whether Brij Bhushan is guilty or not is the job of the police to tell, but for that, the investigation has to be completed first, which takes time and cooperation from the accusers.
At this juncture, all the demands of the protesting wrestlers have been fulfilled, an FIR has been registered, the due investigation into the matter is going on, the judiciary is open to hear their case, the government has dissolved the WFI and Singh is hence, no more the chief of the organization, and a committee has already looked into the case. Despite of all this, the protestors are not ready to let law take its own course.
The question which now arises is, when everything which is required is already happening, what more do the protestors want? And why is it that they do not have faith in the system?
