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Jwala Gutta slams Babita Phogat: As a sportsperson, I feel ashamed
Shuttler Jwala Gutta had asked wrestler-turned-politician Babita Phogat to retract her statements blaming a particular community for the spread of Covid-19
Jwala Gutta’s forehand skills are well known – on the badminton court and off it. Vocal about everything, be it her relationships (she recently announced plans to marry South actor Vishnu Vishal), or social issues (especially women’s causes), Gutta has now slammed wrestler-turned-politician Babita Phogat’s tweet. Being a sportsperson, she says she was ‘ashamed’ of such venom being spewed, especially in testing times like this.
“If not physically, many people are verbally inciting violence. Not just Babita, even Kangana’s (Ranaut) sister called for people to be shot and referred to them as Nazis. What kind of language is this? Who are you to call out anyone? There’s a reason that there is a law in place. If something distasteful is being done or said, report it to the police,” she asserts.
“Babita wrote something on Twitter over the lynching of sadhus saying itna sannata kyu hai…is she waiting for a crime to happen so she can be proved right? It’s appalling, the kind of statements that are being made,” says the Arjuna awardee, who had asked Phogat to retract her statements blaming a particular community for the spread of Covid-19 in India. While the latter claimed her tweets were misrepresented, Gutta feels it inched towards inciting violence. “Tomorrow, if you pit two people together in a fight, you are also involved in it, even if not directly,” says the 35-year-old.
READ | Babita Phogat on her tweet that made Aamir Khan trend: Mein aaj bhi apne tweet pe kayam hoon
“Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isai, sab bhai bhai...bachpan se sikhaya hai humein. Why can’t we learn how to co-exist? It’s high time we stop these Hindu-Muslim talks and learn to be human. If you can’t preach love, at least don’t preach hate,” she says, adding, “As a sportsperson, I feel ashamed. Our Indian contingent also has Muslims. How is she (Phogat) going to face them? I feel I had to speak up as a citizen of this country and a proud Indian!” she adds.
Racial attacks have also been observed since the Covid-19 outbreak, with many members of the North-Eastern community, among others, bearing the brunt . And Gutta, whose mother is Chinese, too has faced such attacks. However, she chooses to ignore and move on. “I actually pity them. These people who are trolling me are the ones who will come asking for a selfie. So I really don’t pay too much attention to them,” she says.
But undoubtedly, handling the negativity mustn’t be easy for someone like her, who has always been very vocal about everything, even her relationships. “I have developed a thick skin over the years. I don’t really bother about what other people say or how judgmental people can be. The only criticism I actually consider is my family and close friends. To the women out there, I’d say develop a thick skin. Enjoy social media, and if it is giving you too much stress, quit social media,” she opines.
With all the negativity, how is she staying fit during the lockdown? “We (sportspersons) are used to outdoor training, so it is difficult. But I feel right now, with all that’s going on, it’s time to focus on mental fitness more than physical fitness. Nobody thought such a time would come. Also, a lot of information is not good at times. More than anything, be focused on mental health. Don’t worry about a few kilos. I don’t build pressure to do something or workout every day, I do what I feel like. We just go for long walks,” she admits.
And amid the lockdown, how is she managing to stay in touch with her beau? “It is tough, but technology is the answer! But I guess it’s nothing compared to the problems people are facing right now,” she says. Has the crisis put a dampener on their marriage plans? She says, “Whatever we feel for each other has nothing to do with what’s happening right now. Whenever anything is finalised, we will announce it for sure.”
Talking of films, Gutta has received several offers for a biopic. But she feels it should tell a story that can inspire, and shouldn’t be knit around badminton alone. “We are scared to show our flaws, unlike Hollywood, given the judgmental society we live in. I am in talks with a few people…I want my biopic to be more than just about sports. It has to be a sensible story that can inspire. We, too, are humans at the end of the day and we also make mistakes,” she adds. And does she have an actor in mind for the titular role? “I am a huge Kareena [Kapoor Khan] fan, I can relate to her. I think she is who she is, and accepts her mistakes. So I would say Kareena, but not sure,” she laughs.
Author tweets @srinidhi_gk
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