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Hello,
As the nation rejoices in the success of our sportspersons at the Tokyo Olympics, with the highest medal tally yet, it also dawns that there is a lot that goes into the making of champions - long hours, grit, sweat and pain. And, an ecosystem that fosters excellence and creates the required infrastructure.
However, ThePrint argues that inclusiveness and diversity is an equally critical input for success in Indian sports. Hockey, for instance, the sport in which India has a glorious Olympic legacy, has had a long tradition of diversity of “caste, class, ethnicity and geography”. It can also be argued that Indian cricket’s formidable rise is because it expanded its catchment to new sections of Indian society. And, in the future too, inclusivity is the mantra that will drive Indian sports.
In the euphoria of the achievements of our Olympians, the struggles that our sportswomen face by the virtue of their gender should not be swept under the carpet, Feminism In India points out. Many of the success stories of these women have come against grave structural inequities, rampant patriarchy and poverty.
Down To Earth reminds us that even on something as secular as sports, caste identities in India are not far from the surface. It recounts the instance of how Neeraj Chopra, the first Indian athlete to win a gold in track and field at the Olympics, was sought to be appropriated by caste groups immediately after his triumph.
The India Forum says that the alleged surveillance of journalists, opposition leaders and activists through the Pegasus software is a chilling reminder that it is imperative to build public pressure on the government for a thorough overhaul of the current surveillance and intelligence framework. It is equally necessary to amend the current data protection bill in Parliament to make it tighter against government misuse.
And, EastMojo’s deep-reported short documentary tells the tragic tale of 11 villagers of Dharamtul village in Assam’s Morigaon district who fell prey to an illegal organ-trade racket, forced to sell their kidneys to keep poverty at bay, amidst the pandemic lockdowns.
For these stories and more, from our grantees this week, please read on.
Warmly,
Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
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