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The TOI inviting Tarun Tejpal to participate in a panel on the 'Tyranny Of Power' reveals our callous attitude to violence against women.
The TOI inviting Tarun Tejpal, currently facing charges of sexual assault, to participate in a panel on the ‘Tyranny Of Power’ reveals our callous attitude to violence against women.
Do you know what came to my mind when I read that the Times of India had invited Tarun Tejpal for their Litfest to talk on a panel titled ‘The Tyranny of Power’? Irony, mostly. Well, for any of you who are scratching their heads, last year Tejpal, the founder of Tehelka magazine was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting one of its female reporters. He is currently out on bail and is awaiting trial.
TOI faced severe social media backlash and criticism for inviting Tejpal. So much so that other speakers were even asked to boycott the event all together. Taking note of public anger and resentment, TOI has withdrawn its invite to Tejpal as they don’t want ‘extraneous issues‘ causing disturbances and distractions at the main event.
When news of the alleged assault broke out, it was met with initial disbelief to downright disgust with the way Tejpal and some of his associates handled the aftermath. Tejpal had apparently written a letter to his Managing Editor on how he should withdraw from being Editor-in-Chief for 6 months as a punishment for what he had done. In the world where I come from, such acts simply smack of arrogance and a sense of power that certain individuals feel they wield and can use to get away with anything. Fortunately our Constitution doesn’t say that ‘if you withdraw temporarily from your job, you’re off the hook’, and he was subsequently arrested.
But what can we take away from the entire TOI episode? It grants a certain acceptance to a person whose guilt has been reasonably if not entirely established. The fact that he gets an opportunity to speak at a public forum lends an uneasy normalcy in a situation that is still very fraught with tension and anger.
Unfortunately, there are other examples of popular figures who are in the center of controversies and somehow that doesn’t affect their public life. Take Bill Cosby for example; he recently performed at a show in Melbourne and got a standing ovation despite multiple allegations of sexual assault against him. People try to demarcate how they view such figures and try to separate their public from their personal lives.
A certain impunity is granted to people like Tejpal and Cosby where they know that despite whatever they’re accused of doing, they will still find some form of social acceptance. This is actually a reflection of our misogynist culture. Sexual assault has become so commonplace that nobody paused to reflect on their decision to invite someone to speak who is currently facing these charges. Maybe they were looking for some sort of guaranteed publicity. There is no way of actually understanding their motivations, but it is painful to see how nonchalant the organizers were about it. One of them went to the extent of calling the backlash as ‘noise’.
The issue of sexual assault by public figures will always catch the limelight and media attention. However what is required of the media is to present a balanced story as opposed to literally offering the pedestal to one party who in fact had confessed to the crime.
TOI’s reaction to the backlash is counter-productive and doesn’t bode well for them. Sure, you have claims of being the most widely circulated English daily in the country, but you are quite irresponsible with the power that you wield through these numbers. Isn’t this in fact the real ‘tyranny of power’?
Image of three monkeys/closing eyes on evil via Shutterstock
Extremely enthusiastic about writing, reading, movies and food; though not necessarily in that order! A Feminist by choice and finds comfort in giving 'gyaan' from time to time. Would love constructive feedback on my writing read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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