It’s time to chuck de Kaushik and Hockey India…


“ Do you have sex?” asked the veteran hockey coach of India’s women’s team. The startled and scared female player at the receiving end of this obnoxious question was stunned into silence. Poet Anasuya Dutt had captured the emotional trauma of women caught in this particular player’s unfortunate position most evocatively when she wrote, “ In too many countries, too many women speak the same language – of silence.” Collective silence it was that protected Maharaj Kumar Kaushik, the disgraced coach ,for years. But last week he was forced to step down, after top player Ranjita Kumar broke that awful silence and accused him of sexual harassment . Her letter to Narendra Batra, the secretary of Hockey India was signed by 31 members, who are standing by the oppressed athlete. Three key allegations have been made against this arrogant man who must have been counting on the clout of his undeserved but exalted position to see him through the mess. More than even that, he must have been counting on silence. Women in traditional societies have silence as their best friend – it is their only succour and refuge. “Hold your tongue, woman!” is a phrase that young women hear over and over again while growing up…. no matter what the provocation. Incest, rape, molestation…her instructions are clear – shut up and put up.
Ranjita would have ended up as yet another victim of this man’s ungentlemanly conduct, had an anonymous letter about his despicable language not made its way to officials. A letter that mentioned Ranjita by name. It was the only way to nail the guy. Confronted and cornered, he did what countless men in positions of power ( limited or otherwise) do , he tried to turn the tables on the women he had tormented by accusing them of using this tactic to get even with him. Why? Because they were dropped from the team for not being good enough. It’s an old and familiar trick adopted by rakes the world over – blame the woman, make her badnaam, disgrace her in front of family and friends, shred her reputation, ruin her future. It’s easy – she is a soft target. She has everything to lose. Most times, the man has nothing at stake – not even his reputation or job. After all, even his superiors would understand – he’s a man. These things happen. And as Kaushik demonstrated over the years, a man can and does get away with vulgar, offensive, sexually charged statements. Kaushik allegedly declared during his team’s tour to New Zealand in 2003, “ Anyone interested in sex, can come to me.” It’s an allegation he vehemently rubbishes. Instead, he whines about this being a nasty campaign to malign his ‘good name’, because he didn’t allow players to use mobile phones! Aha – now we know the real villain of the piece – it’s the banned mobile phone!
There are thousands of Kaushiks running around the world nonchalantly . Some time ago, we had a phony ‘Godman’ called Swami Nityananda whose pornographic sex tapes with a Tamil heroine, cut short his meteoric rise to the top of the spiritual merchandising rankings. Today, this man has brazenly and shamelessly turned the scandal around to boast, “ The internet has twice experienced major jams due to traffic. One was following the death of Michael Jackson. Second was following my sex tape.” How’s that for aggressive marketing in the God Bazaar ? Kaushik’s videographer Basavaraja is in an even murkier spot - there’s video footage of him with multiple sex workers. The worst that can happen to these men is already over – Basavaraja is suspended, and Kaushik has resigned. But what can be done to resurrect the hockey dreams of players like Helen Mary (former captain and goal keeper) whose brilliant career was cut short when she dared to complain about Kaushik ( who was reportedly having an affair with the team’s manager, Anurita Saini )? It was Saini who paid the price after the expose and lost her job. Kaushik’s minders in high places, let him hang on to his. Isn’t that how it goes? The absurdity is further compounded today, when officials point out piously that Kaushik hasn’t exactly forced himself on anyone so far. He has merely indulged in lewd talk. And that, dear people, is not considered offensive enough to punish him! Talk like, “ It’s good if you like sex… I am available twenty four hours.” In an angry statement, members of the hockey team are raising valid questions : “ You say he hasn’t got physical…we ask, do you want us to wait till he gets physical?”
Unfortunately, we lack the will to pursue sexual harassment cases in India. They are just not considered ‘serious’ enough. Authorities, even the police, point out that in a country where the aam aadmi faces far more life threatening issues on a daily basis, what’s a little ‘masti’ between the sexes? It’s all harmless fun!! No sir, it isn’t. For every Kaushik and Basavaraja who finally get caught for propositioning and demeaning women who they think are in no position to hit back, there are countless others who never pay for their crimes.Society has to wait for the rare Ranjitha Devis and Helen Marys who boldly break that conspiracy of silence and speak up. Most times, their courage comes with a huge price tag. Men will always try to exploit this collective silence , but even those complacent men sometimes go wrong in their calculations.It only happens when almost miraculously, a few extraordinary women rediscover the power of their own larynxes That’s when their stifled- for- centuries voices do – and must - get heard .
What we need is greater amplification. Pump up the volume, ladies.
We know for sure what isn’t cricket. Now we also know what isn’t hockey!
Chuck de Kaushik !