The Trinamool Congress (TMC) walked out of a meeting of the Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports on Thursday after deliberations on safety provisions for women athletes at various sports federations in the context of the ongoing protests by wrestlers was disallowed.
Panel Chairman and BJP MP Vivek Thakur dismissed the questions raised by TMC MPs Sushmita Dev and Asit Kumar Mal, saying it was not part of the meeting’s agenda and the issue is sub-judice. The meeting was called to deliberate on “Olympic preparedness and Target Olympic Podium Scheme [TOPS]” on which Sports Secretary Sujata Chaturvedi briefed the panel.
According to sources, after Ms. Chaturvedi’s presentation ended, Ms. Dev asked if internal complaints committees were formed at different sports federations and whether they were active. The question, Ms. Dev said, was whether the stadiums and gyms, which as per the sexual harassment laws fall under definition of workplace, were safe for our athletes. But she was reminded that her questions were beyond the day’s agenda.
‘Govt. has no role’
Ms. Chaturvedi, according to the sources, said the government had no role in functioning of sports federations and any interference by the government in working of these federations was against the spirit guiding sports administration globally. To which, Ms. Dev again asked on the funding pattern of federation and how much does the Union government give to the Wrestling Federation which currently is in the eye of storm.
“When West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is on the streets, as a member of this standing committee on women and children, I felt compelled to walk out of the meeting because the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has failed to act. I could not have sat around as a mute spectator. The standing committee is a watchdog of public policy and not the ‘pet dog’ of the government,” Ms. Dev told reporters after the meeting.
Th meeting was also attended by Sandeep Pradhan, Director-General, Sports Authority of India, Cdre (retired) P.K. Garg, CEO, TOPS, and R.C. Mishra, Vice-Chancellor, National Sports University, among others.
