Skeletons From The Cupboard

HariLakhera · Dec 21, 2017

Skeletons from the cupboard

It may be just a coincident . I was reading Giant Of The Senate, a book written by Al Franken, a Democrats Senator. I was just getting interested in the story of his rise from Saturday Night Live to the coveted seat of Senator in the US Congress in 2012. And then falls the bomb. He has decided to resign. Reason - sexual harassment reported by one woman followed by some dozen women over a period of some 20 odd years. Simply pathetic.

Now it so happens that it was not only Trump. There are many many more. The skeletons are tumbling down. Back in India there was this fellow called Tarun Tejpal Head of Tehlaka and R K Pachauri Directional General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI ). Both of them, highly respected personalities in their own way, had to face the humiliation.

Sexual harassment at work place is not new. What is new is that more and more women are coming forward to report them. Some cases are as old as fifty years. This is new found freedom or there is something behind the stories. The typical question asked is why now? The simple answer would be why not?

But is it really so simple? The bigger question is who would bell the cat? In most cases the victim does not want to report because of inherent humiliation or fear. It should be the other way round. It is the a accused who should feel humiliated and afraid of. But it happens the other way. The equation is not right.

While there is every possibility that some one may be playing the victim card and thus trying to take revenge or may be some compensation but such cases would be very few. In all probability a woman will not do it because she has to protect her identity, family and social standing. But then the possibility can not be ruled out.

The courts have a difficult job to settle such cases unless the victim can produce concrete evidence, which is very difficult if the case is old.

Rihana · Dec 21, 2017

HariLakhera said: ↑

But is it really so simple?
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It is not simple. I have had the same thought -- why now. Or rather, why not earlier. Maybe right away after the harassment the woman was not able to report it for fear of no one would take her seriously, and the man's position of power would mean she would stand to lose even more. But even years after being successful at her job, not reporting it until the #MeToo movement, I couldn't figure out. Remaining quiet after being in a position to report past harassment, means more women became victims.

But, it is easy to sit and judge the women, so I say better late than never. Good all the reports are coming out.

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Dec 21, 2017

This sexual harassment was rampant in cine field Holiwood, Kolywood, Telywood and Malywood and even wherever men and women worked together. Previously the victims were afraid to report it and now the skeletons are stumbling out because of the #MeToo movement.
PS

GeetaKashyap · Dec 21, 2017

HariLakhera said: ↑

Skeletons from the cupboard

It may be just a coincident . I was reading Giant Of The Senate, a book written by Al Franken, a Democrats Senator. I was just getting interested in the story of his rise from Saturday Night Live to the coveted seat of Senator in the US Congress in 2012. And then falls the bomb. He has decided to resign. Reason - sexual harassment reported by one woman followed by some dozen women over a period of some 20 odd years. Simply pathetic.

Now it so happens that it was not only Trump. There are many many more. The skeletons are tumbling down. Back in India there was this fellow called Tarun Tejpal Head of Tehlaka and R K Pachauri Directional General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI ). Both of them, highly respected personalities in their own way, had to face the humiliation.

Sexual harassment at work place is not new. What is new is that more and more women are coming forward to report them. Some cases are as old as fifty years. This is new found freedom or there is something behind the stories. The typical question asked is why now? The simple answer would be why not?

But is it really so simple? The bigger question is who would bell the cat? In most cases the victim does not want to report because of inherent humiliation or fear. It should be the other way round. It is the a accused who should feel humiliated and afraid of. But it happens the other way. The equation is not right.

While there is every possibility that some one may be playing the victim card and thus trying to take revenge or may be some compensation but such cases would be very few. In all probability a woman will not do it because she has to protect her identity, family and social standing. But then the possibility can not be ruled out.

The courts have a difficult job to settle such cases unless the victim can produce concrete evidence, which is very difficult if the case is old.
Click to expand...

@HariLakhera

I agree. Women have faced sexual harassment everywhere, all the time. Reporting at the time of the event has been difficult for the fear of social ridicule, lack of social support and so on. Chalo! Better late than never, #MeToo has helped some women to come out with their burden. In most cases, due to failure to produce evidence, the perpetrators escape.

In the recent Zaira Wasim case, I was quite confused. She is a celebrity, travelling in the executive class with her mother, yet she tolerated a stupid man putting up his feet on the arm rest and only after alighting, she cried and complained! Here, I fail to sympathise with her. A small complaint to the air-hostess would have solved her problem.

This world is a strange place! People in advantageous positions use such incidents to gain publicity and a few men lose everything they have earned in their life times, for a few moments of cheap thrill!

HariLakhera · Dec 21, 2017

Rihana said: ↑

It is not simple. I have had the same thought -- why now. Or rather, why not earlier. Maybe right away after the harassment the woman was not able to report it for fear of no one would take her seriously, and the man's position of power would mean she would stand to lose even more. But even years after being successful at her job, not reporting it until the #MeToo movement, I couldn't figure out. Remaining quiet after being in a position to report past harassment, means more women became victims.

But, it is easy to sit and judge the women, so I say better late than never. Good all the reports are coming out.
Click to expand...

Dear Rihana,
I am now half way through the book. If this would not have come, I would have judged Al with great esteem as he was fighting for women in the Senate. But then people have many masks. I am not sure what his wife or daughters are thinking of him now. You are as good as you appear until exposed.
Well women are coming out but it's time they do not lose time to report after it happens rather than wiring for years. Justice delayed is justice denied but injustice tolerated is injustice encouraged.
There will be abrasions, there will be false cases, there will be benefit seekers but all will have a chance to be tested by law.
Already men are afraid of closing doors of the cabin. The closed cabins are giving way to glass enclosures. We had stopped having closed cabins long long back.

HariLakhera · Dec 21, 2017

PushpavalliSrinivasan said: ↑

This sexual harassment was rampant in cine field Holiwood, Kolywood, Telywood and Malywood and even wherever men and women worked together. Previously the victims were afraid to report it and now the skeletons are stumbling out because of the #MeToo movement.
PS
Click to expand...

Dear PS,
Film industry always was for career before character. Then daughters of the old patrons joined the industry and some amount of semblance took room. But there will always be women to compromise for career.
It is the professional circuit in industry and business, education, hospitals, in fact everywhere it is pre eland but women fail to report. The me too movement is in a way good. It has its own pitfalls but so be it.

HariLakhera · Dec 21, 2017

GeetaKashyap said: ↑

@HariLakhera

I agree. Women have faced sexual harassment everywhere, all the time. Reporting at the time of the event has been difficult for the fear of social ridicule, lack of social support and so on. Chalo! Better late than never, #MeToo has helped some women to come out with their burden. In most cases, due to failure to produce evidence, the perpetrators escape.

In the recent Zaira Wasim case, I was quite confused. She is a celebrity, travelling in the executive class with her mother, yet she tolerated a stupid man putting up his feet on the arm rest and only after alighting, she cried and complained! Here, I fail to sympathise with her. A small complaint to the air-hostess would have solved her problem.

This world is a strange place! People in advantageous positions use such incidents to gain publicity and a few men lose everything they have earned in their life times, for a few moments of cheap thrill!
Click to expand...

Geetaji,
You are so right. This lady was looking for publicity. And we will find more such cases under metoo movement but so be it. Above all, it will creat some fear among such stupid fellows. My limited point is that women should not wait to report otherwise it becomes suspect. Some women are reporting rape after staying with a man for five years under live in relationships or promise of marriage. This is humbug.