Mumbai, April 20 (IANS) Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh has backed calls for legendary wrestler Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav to be posthumously conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, following recent developments in the Bombay High Court regarding the matter.

The Kolhapur bench of the High Court, comprising Justices Madhav Jamdar and Pravin Patil, has directed the Union government to take a final call on the issue by May 4. The directive came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Kusteeveer Khashaba Jadhav Foundation, an organisation established by the late wrestler’s son, Ranjeet Jadhav.

The petition has sought fresh consideration from the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Padma Awards Cell for awarding the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian honour, to Jadhav in recognition of his historic contribution to Indian sport.

“Wrestler KD Jadhav ji should be awarded the Padma Vibhushan. He was our first Olympic medalist. I am even ready to write to the concerned authorities urging that he be honoured,” WFI president Sanjay Singh told IANS.

During the proceedings, the court observed that there is no dispute over Jadhav’s status as India’s first individual Olympic medallist. It has asked the Centre to arrive at an appropriate decision within the stipulated timeline and fixed May 5 for the next hearing in the case. The bench also noted that the state government should extend prompt cooperation if any formalities are required in the process.

Jadhav, who hailed from Maharashtra, etched his name in history by winning a bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, becoming a trailblazer for Indian wrestling on the global stage. He passed away in 1984 and was honoured posthumously with the Arjuna Award in 2001.

According to the plea, Jadhav’s family had made multiple representations over the years seeking due recognition for his achievements. With no response forthcoming, the foundation approached the High Court to seek judicial intervention.

The court also highlighted that the Padma Vibhushan is India’s second-highest civilian honor, awarded for outstanding and distinguished service. The High Court’s move is viewed as backing renewed efforts to officially recognize Jadhav’s contributions to Indian sports, with the central government likely to consider the historical importance of his Olympic success.

–IANS

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