We have more Tarun Tejpals in media!

1590, 1508, 1488, 1934, 1692 and 1908 are not random numbers but are the number of crime cases against women, registered at both the Hyderabad and Cyberabad commissionerates in the past three years. The journalist at Tehelka raised her voice against her editor-in-chief, Tarun Tejpal, for sexually assaulting her, but how many girls or women raise their voices if they encounter a similar situation? They endure it for a lot of reasons. One being social awkwardness and the other-the fear of approaching a police station and a court.

Everyday, one girl or the other is a victim of sexual harassment, either at work place, bus stop, malls, theatres etc. They feel insecure to step out of their homes.

Every central government and state government office has a women grievance cell which is working actively. The private offices also have grievance cell, which is very effective when it comes to harassment. Despite all these cells and actions, there have been many cases which have gone unreported.

After the Tarun Tejpal case, a lot of working women expressed their frustration and experiences they had encountered at their working place, in their blogs and social networking sites.

The interesting bit is that one won’t react until something big happens. They all suppress the embarrassments that they face, thinking about their jobs and also about what people would think about them.

Here is one case, where the girl had to run around the court for justice- for nine long years. She has been skipping her office because of the case and her husband is also upset with her as time is being wasted on the same. This also could be one of the reasons, why women don’t raise their voice against such cases.

Sexual harassment also includes, commenting or passing lewd statements on a female colleague.

The most shocking news was the sexual assault case against retired Supreme Court Judge AK Ganguly.

Charanya, a media person shares her experiences at her work place. “Male colleagues pass comments which are hurting. Some old male colleagues try to touch and talk. Once a colleague, pulled my shirt and asked what material was the shirt made of? They sit beside us and try to flirt, stare at us and pass undue comments on our dressing.”

In a blog called by ‘Reporting live by freespiritonmove’, a journalist had written about her experience while working with the most reputed newspaper organisation. She says, she was harassed and was subjected to lewd remarks and extremely vulgar comments by a senior business correspondent. “He would corner me near the elevator, making sure no one was around and say the most sickening things to me.

I would be in the canteen making calls for a story and he would be there to say something horrid. I would always give it back but he was persistent. He would harass me endlessly. I would do everything possible to avoid him. However, it continued for almost a month when finally I decided to say enough was enough. I informed my immediate boss who then informed the chief of bureau and I later informed the regional boss.

All of them told me that they would ‘handle’ it and would ensure it does not repeat. But the harassment did not stop. It began a few weeks later. Rather it escalated. This time when I informed the Chief of Bureau, I was asked “why are you making such a big deal out of this” and he went on to say “What will your future in laws think of you if they hear this”.

What was even more appalling was the fact that I was not that journalist’s first victim. He had harassed another journalist elsewhere too and she too was promised that sufficient action would be taken but that never did happen. His ‘punishment’ was being transferred to the capital city’s business bureau.

Later that day I was called into the COB’s cabin where the journalist in question apologised to me even as he said that I had ‘misconstrued’ what he said and then denying everything. I was advised to accept the apology. And that’s when I decided to take things into my own hands and wrote an email to the editor-in-chief threatening legal action. What followed was not the ‘firing’ of the journalist but him being sent on a long leave and his subsequent resignation. The matter was handled ‘internally’,” she shared on her blog.

Akileshwari Ramagoud, a journalist and an activist says that every woman is harassed by men irrespective of age. “I was harassed when I was pregnant, I was harassed when I was 50 and I am harassed at 60 too. They stare at us, spit, pinch, grab hands, pass dirty comments. Women are the most vulnerable. Media is no exception. It is worse, if the men are in power.

Tejpal should be more shameful. He misbehaved with his colleague’s daughter who is like his daughter. Only a few of them stand the ground and fight for justice. This case has hit the headlines, because he is Tarun Tejpal, the man who exposed all the politicians.” She further states that women should stand up and fight back.

“It’s time. Tarun Tejpal case should put men on alert. It should give courage to women. Which media has a women’s cell? Women are anyway standing up for themselves. It’s time sensitive, sensible and concerned men stand up for the women. If a man respects a woman, he would never resort to such shameful acts. Practice values that they preach. I know a man who runs an NGO in Hyderabad which works for the empowerment of women and he himself harasses his female employee,” she says with anger.

“Girls are usually discouraged to report the incidences of sexual harassment because psychologically and emotionally they are embarrassed, fear of future attacks by the offender, anxiety, feelings of guilt and self – blame, social stigma, broken trust in others, long wait for getting justice and punishment to the offender etc,” says Radhika Acharya, a psychologist.

“In India, harassment, domestic violence and other offences on women are often ignored and taken casually. People who involve in such activities are usually power mongers and try to establish their supremacy by such acts on victims. Often these offenders are suffering from some sort of psychological disorders. Due to many psychological, social reasons, people are developing deviant behaviours and becoming more frustrated, seeking immediate gratification and are becoming impulsive. Such persons may not think much before they act. They search for weak victims and threaten them with consequences,” she informs.