By Matters India Reporter

Bengaluru, June 5, 2023: The Conference of Religious India has joined groups to express solidarity with women wrestlers who have been protesting against sexual abuses in the national capital for several weeks.

“We the women and men of the Conference of Religious in India [CRI] salute you for having dared to challenge patriarchy and asserted your rights as women and of human dignity,” says a letter of solidarity with the women wrestlers issued by the conference president Apostolic Carmel Sister Mary Nirmalini.

The June 4 letter hails the protesting women wrestlers as “an example to women who face recurring sexual harassment, feeling helpless at work, in their neighborhoods, and in public spaces.”

She said the Catholic religious in India condemn the brutal and uncivilized behavior of the police, who forcibly terminated the wrestlers’ rightful agitation.

Prominent wrestlers such as Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Sangeeta Phogat have led the protest since April 23, demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Singh is accused of sexually harassing multiple female grapplers, including a minor.

Sister Nirmalini sent the letter four days after she urged her more than 130,000 people to get out of their comfort zones and play their prophetic role as the country faces burning and critical issues.

She said she was concerned at the many serious happenings in India such as the ongoing targeted violence in Manipur on the Christians and other tribals; the continual attacks on Church personnel and institutions in various parts of India; the denigration of the Muslims; the mainstreaming of hate speeches; and the pathetic plight of our protesting women wrestlers.

She suggested several ways for her people to get involved in the critical issues such as collaborating and supporting protests, marches, rallies and sit-ins in support of the wrestler and the victims of violence in Manipur.

She wanted religious, clergy and lay people to join a five-day nationwide campaign the farmers in support of the wrestlers that ended June 5.

Sister Nirmalini urged her conference’s diocesan units organize a protest rally for the same cause.

Given below is her letter of solidarity with the women wrestlers:
Dear young women,

The CRI is a forum of more than (125,000) Catholic Nuns, Brothers and Fathers, working all over the country in educational institutions, medical centers, and social welfare groups in rural and urban areas. We are politically non-aligned, but stand for human rights and development, and the empowerment of the poor and the marginalized.

Women wrestlers of India set high standards and show a mirror to those who do not have the courage to stand on principles, or even to stand in solidarity with brave women such as you and your fellow men wrestlers.

You stand as an example to women who are helpless in the face of recurring sexual harassment at the workplace or in the neighborhood and public spaces, because they are alone, or weak, poor or trapped in poisonous relationships.
We condemn the brutal and totally uncivilized manner in which the police behaved with you and forcibly terminated your rightful agitation at Jantar Mantar.

You broke many a ceiling when you took to wrestling and brought honors to the country.

in arenas far more prestigious than the commercial grounds of big-money sports. We therefore thank Mr. Kapil Dev and the first Indian team to win the Cricket World Cup that they have extended support to your just cause, as have Olympic Champions such as Mr. Abhinav Bindra and Mr. Neeraj Chopra.

We also call upon the Union Government to take the steps that are necessary to see that justice takes its course in your complaints of sexual molestation and harassment. That one of the victims is a minor adds further urgency to this matter. That is a case where not only the police but also the National Commission for Protection of Children must act, invoke the powerful Law of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences, and move the Supreme court as powerful political forces are protecting the accused.

We note that the Prime Minister is aware of your charges. He has often spoken of his support to the cause of the women in India and has implemented several projects for their uplift. We hope he will do what is necessary to start investigations into the charges of molestation and other sexual offences. This will help ensure that such crimes are not committed in future, specially by men in high office.

Yours in solidarity,
Sr. Nirmalini Nazareth A.C.
President, Conference of Religious in India