Casteist remarks against woman hockey player: Madurai MP seeks action

Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan, in a memorandum to the Union Minister of Sports, said such casteist attacks diminished the image of India among people; called for special awards to the women hockey players

Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan has condemned casteist remarks made against Indian hockey team player Vandana Katariya, who took part in the Tokoyo Olympics.

In a memorandum addressed to Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur, Mr. Venkatesan said that it was disgusting to see news reports about the ill treatment meted out to family members of Ms. Vandana at her village, Roshnabad in Haridwar of Uttarakhand state, after India’s defeat in the semi-finals against Argentina.

Some caste Hindus had hurled caste slurs on Ms. Vandana when they stepped out of their house. It has been reported that they went on saying that India lost because too many Dalits have found place in the team and every sport should keep Dalits out.

This is disgraceful for the fine sports person who has made exemplary contribution to the Indian hockey team, the MP said.

Recalling that it was for the first time that India’s Women Hockey team entered the semifinals in the Olympics, he said that the Indian women team beat three-time champion Australia. Ms Vandana created a record in the match against South Africa as the first Indian woman hockey player to score a hat-trick in the Olympics.

These casteist attacks had diminished the image of India among the people, particularly sports lovers throughout the world, and it would demoralise the sportspersons concerned also, he said.

The Ministry of Sports should intervene to contain the damage and instil confidence among the sportspersons by honouring each team member. Besides, it should announce special awards of ₹1 crore to each of them. The Ministry should also ask the Uttarakhand government to take stern action against the culprits by invoking provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The Union Minister of Sports has to visit Ms. Vandana at her house to express the solid support of the nation to her, he added.

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