So, what would you do if your boss pulled you into an elevator and took advantage of you? Quite instinctively you’d resist right? But what if he goes on to say that staying silent is the best way to keep your job? Now, you have two options – keep mum about the incident or report it to your senior. The woman journalist who was sexually assaulted by Tarun Tejpal, the Editor-in-Chief of Tehelka, sensibly chose the latter.
It’s an irony of sorts to find Tejpal in this horrid mess because he is not just another journalist; the man is revered for being a crusader of sting operations in the big, bad world of Indian politics. A woman journalist working under him has alleged that Tejpal tried molesting her a couple of times. It occurred once during Think Fest, an event organised by the magazine in Goa earlier this month.
In an e-mail to Shoma Chaudhury, the Managing Editor of Tehelka, Tejpal explained that the incident as a “bad lapse of judgment” and “an awful misreading of the situation” which had led to “an unfortunate incident”. Following this, the Editor-in-Chief has stepped down from his position for the next six months. But does that end the matter? Or, why hasn’t the woman journalist filed a sexual harassment case against Tarun Tejpal yet?
Cases of sexual harassment at the workplace are not rare. Here are a couple of men from the recent past who misused their power and fell prey to allegations of sexual misconduct.
- Penguin Canada CEO, David Davidarwas accused of sexually assaulting an employee repeatedly over a period of three years. But when Lisa Rundle complained about it to her superiors, she was fired from her job. Apparently, Davidar started harassing her in 2007 with lewd comments and by sending inappropriate e-mails and making phone calls late in the night. Things got nasty when he entered Rundle’s hotel room and forcibly kissed her. Last reported, Rundle had supposedly claimed $422,910 against Penguin for wrongful dismissal and $100,000 in damages against Davidar.
- The sexual assault by a retired Supreme Court judge on a law intern has brought into light subsequent revelations by others against their seniors. An inquiry committee on Monday supposedly interacted with the law graduate and has asked her to appear before the court again. The intern accused the retired judge of misbehaving with her in a hotel room last year when the country was glued to the Delhi gang-rape case.
Some other cases where women faced sexual harassment at the workplace:
- In September, a woman constable in Lucknow accused a sub-inspector for sexually harassing her at work. Apparently, she was the only woman present at the police station when the incident occurred.
- According to news reports, there have been instances of sexual harassment faced by women presenters who have been exploited by senior officials at the All India Radio.
What are the Vishakha Guidelines?
The Bhanwari Devi alleged gang-rape almost shaped the women’s movement in Rajasthan. Some say that the case has actually encouraged rape victims to prosecute their rapists. So much so that women’s rights groups submitted a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court under the collective platform of Vishakha. And in 1997, the judgment defined sexual harassment at the workplace and provided guidelines to deal with it known as the Vishakha Guidelines. Some noteworthy and interesting points are:
- Gender equality includes protection from sexual harassment and the right to work with dignity as per our constitution.
- Safe working environment is a fundamental right of a working woman.
- In no way should working women be discriminated at the workplace against male employees. (If a woman is, then it must be documented in company policies, for example limitation of women in police and armed forces.)
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