Among the tens of thousands of Twitter messages that poured out over the past week expressing protest and anger over two horrifying crimes in India against two minor girls, one, aged eight and the other 17, came a long thread from footballer CK Vineeth.

On April 17, Vineeth's tweet addressed, "the Prime Minister, Opposition leader, chief justice and every citizen of this country." From a current Indian athlete, this in itself was an unexpected outpouring. For Vineeth, formerly of Bengaluru FC and now Kerala Blasters, this is merely who he is and where he has been earlier.

In January, after an ISL match, playing for Kerala, Vineeth (Twitter followers: 181,000) posted a picture in support of a young man Sreejith who sat outside the Kerala Secretariat for more than two years demanding justice following the death of his brother in police custody. Vineeth's friend and footballing comrade Rino Anto joined him in solidarity. The case is now being investigated and arrests have been made.

The honorable Prime Minister, Opposition Party Leader, the Chief Justice and every citizen of this country; this is addressed to all of you. pic.twitter.com/EHnda5SOvt - CK Vineeth (@ckvineeth) April 17, 2018

In Indian sport, rarely does anyone - that is, anyone in active sport or working with any athlete - challenge or question any government on a subject that doesn't directly affect them. As of April 19, along with Vineeth and Anto, Sania Mirza, Gautam Gambhir , Sunil Chhetri, Jeev Milkha Singh, Mithali Raj, R Ashwin, MC Mary Kom, and Saina Nehwal also tweeted their horror over crimes against the girls.

When asked what led him to be vocal on issues outside his sporting universe, Vineeth says, "Because I'm a social animal, as simple as that. When something comes to my eyes and if I have something to say I will say it at that point."

He does not think of that photograph of Anto and him in support of Sreejith or tweeting about it as deliberately controversial or inviting censure and a toppling of Indian sporting's apple cart. To state one's opinions, Vineeth believes, is what we need now. "They are the need of the moment."

We are talking on the phone and I ask him if he is not afraid; before I finish the question, he asks, "Afraid of whom? Of whom? For what?" Vineeth says whatever he says on his social platforms and stands by it. And it's not all yobro #awesome or sponsors endorsements either, which is usually the fail-safe option for the majority.

Thousands participate in a candlelight protest in Srinagar, Kashmir, demanding justice for an eight-year-old girl who was brutally raped and murdered Getty Images

Other Indian athletes steer clear, as making their opinion felt on issues "outside sport" comes with the prospect of losing government jobs, getting their wrists slapped by ruling bodies, their careers curtailed or sponsor-flight (for those sportsmen and women who have a lot of sponsors).

Social censure then, is not among Vineeth's worries, "As a social animal, I have my right to say whatever I feel. There will be people who oppose me or hate me, there will be people who support it. I don't care about it. I just want to say what I feel."

It can be argued that the impact of a social media storm will have a greater ripple effect on an India cricketer than on a football player. But it shouldn't matter to the athlete who makes the statement either way, should he feel strongly about it. To Vineeth, it doesn't mean prime time TV discussions on the topic, it's just about getting your voice out. "If it is right or if it is not, I can say the thing I want to say and I use my social platform to say it."

Vineeth and the nine other Indian athletes - three footballers, three cricketers, a golfer, a boxer, a tennis and badminton player - are well-known names, some are iconic figures. Voicing their opinion about crimes against women in the wider world is neither contentious nor prickly. What made them ten distinct in this case was they were willing to make their opinions known on an issue which has put the state and its law machinery under pressure to respond, demanding answers from the government.

Compared to Indian athletes keeping a safe distance from hot-button social issues, American sport has witnessed a diametrically opposite trend in recent years. It began in August 2016 with NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision to "take a knee" in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. In a gesture that grabbed nationwide attention, Kaepernick knelt down when the US national anthem was played before a game. Both Kaepernick and Eric Reid, another player who supported him, have not been signed by any of the NFL teams for the last two seasons. Kaepernick has soaked in the consequences of his act and chosen to become a part of that rare community: the activist-athlete.

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In India, however, given the scale and importance of the state's influence and control over athletes - in Olympic sports, it is jobs, promotions, livelihoods - there end up being no Kaepernicks. Very few in Indian sport openly question power, or whatever is interpreted as power: the government, their national sporting body, their employer, their sponsors and the market.

There are many who are limited by their circumstances, and a smaller number by nothing other than trepidation or ennui. That is why you will hear our athletes twittering in praise or beaming at being photographed around establishment: be it political, economic, sporting or cultural. It is why the messages from ten athletes (if I am missing a few, apologies offered, please do step forward) stand out instantly.

As a footballer, Vineeth's sport permits, in theory, an individual's free movement between clubs, and makes him, in his mind, a master of his own destiny.

"We are dependent on our performances - if I perform well, somebody will take me; if I don't, no one will. You don't run behind someone to get a chance." But the threat of a cancelled contract? A Kaepernick-style freeze out? He hasn't heard of the American's story but when told, he laughs, "I don't care. I have my paddy field to walk in. If I lost my job, I can walk here."

Before the advent of social media, Indian athletes usually spoke about social injustices only if directly affected. Social media allows them to make their opinion known, in exactly what manner they want it known. It is a direct line of communication to their fans et al. And it is through this, in their speech and their silence, that we get a chance to understand what they are made of.