On Sexism, Sports bras, and Athletes confronting politicians: Tanvie Hans
On 6th September, former Tottenham Ladies player Tanvie Hans made a scathing facebook post against the culture of moral policing women in public places. While athletes routinely speak up about social issues, they happen to do so in a generalised, almost bland way — following the standard non-partisan “Say nice things without taking names or addressing sensitive problems” mantra. It is in this context that Tanvie’s post was outrageous, but refreshing at the same time. It was a direct dig at Kavitha Reddy, a Congress spokesperson and activist, who had stirred controversy on September 4 when she abused actress Samyukta Hegde for hula-hooping wearing workout clothes in a public park. Hegde had alleged that she was targeted because of her clothes.
Hans, boldly posing in a sports bra, wrote in her post,
“Kavitha Reddy, you were saying?
Public place
Sports bra
You wanna come after me now?
Nothing but the truth coming up… This is by NO MEANS ‘too much’ skin — this is as sporty as it gets! Yet, it took me TWENTY minutes today to just scan the place repeatedly and feel comfortable enough to take off my jacket for 30 seconds, for this photo. #truth”
While the issue had been trending on Twitter and Reddy was being trolled from all directions anyway, influencers and public figures made their hackneyed bland posts. Hans is one of the many public figures who have taken to social media to express rage as rage in the era of “Kadi Ninda” discourse. “Let me repeat myself — these words are for you Kavitha, and EVERY SINGLE man and woman out there that feels entitled to limiting the life of others based on their own cerebral limits — MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!!!”
There is an underlying rage in these statements that every woman has felt every time she has defied boundaries society lay for her. Athletes in the past have steered clear of having confrontations with politicians because of the huge risks involved. Thanks to the courage of sportspersons like Tommie Smith and John Carlos (of the Black Power salute fame), Colin Kaepernick (knelt during the national anthem) and thousands of others, it’s easier for athletes to be vocal about social and political issues and use their influence constructively, sometimes getting otherwise apolitical federations to acknowledge these concerns. The latest example of this is the prompt response from the English FA in the aftermath of Black Lives Matter protests in the USA, with players like Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling taking the lead in addressing racism in sport.
Even for a usually apolitical Tanvie, Samyukhta Hegde’s ordeal was probably her breaking point. “I don’t speak out much about political issues etc, but this one feels personal, because EVERY single girl in India knows what it feels like to be uncomfortable in public, and it’s a real shame, because we should define the boundaries of our own comfort. And this particular incident is especially upsetting because the aggressor is a woman!” She ended her post by showing solidarity with Hegde, because the world needs more women standing up for women, across professions.
Will the coming times usher a new dawn where sportspersons in India would be as politically outspoken as their western counterparts? Let us know your thoughts.
