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Senior women journalists like Tavleen Singh, Seema Mustafa, and Manjeet Kripalani are questioning the women who speak up in the #MeToo movement. Barkha Dutt asks them why, in an open letter.
The #metoo wave which has engulfed our country will not abate anytime soon, as more and more women are coming forward with their own stories. Some allegations are against the most influential names, who were in powerful positions but were forced to step down due to public outcry.
However, just like any movement where there is a strong support for all women who have decided to speak up about what they went through, there are those who question its authenticity. Surprisingly enough, respected women journalists such as Tavleen Singh, Seema Mustafa and Manjeet Kripalani are among them. Tavleen and Manjeet have in fact, stood in favour of MJ Akbar on their social media platforms.
Journalist Barkha Dutt decided to send an open letter to these ladies, asking them, why they have such a misogynistic reaction to this situation.
She asks in a polite tone that they had once fought for the rights of women, but today they are not backing the biggest battle against harassment and subjugation. How can they refuse to make men accountable for their actions, and instead are once again putting the blame on women? These ladies have asked – why did she not speak up earlier?
The answer to the question is – it is not always as simple as that. In a lot of these cases, the women were in a vulnerable state. They were juniors, interns, applicants, struggling actresses or simply scared to raise their voice. They feared for their jobs, reputations, careers, and in some cases even their personal safety. If you read the stories, most women even then had stood up against harassment and voiced their opinion, but no one believed them or heard them out. It was labeled as a publicity stunt and dismissed. For eg. Tanushree Dutta.
However, as one woman spoke up against what she had endured, the others who had also suffered at the hands of the same predator decided to raise their voice as well, and hence the movement started.
A lot of men have claimed that this movement is being misused as a smear campaign to malign their name. The question is why women who have not known each other before, have no connection whatsoever, suddenly decide to get together and tear down the reputation of a random man.
Tavleen has responded to this letter by saying that her generations of women were fighters and not victims, as those in the #metoo movement are claiming to be. Another comment by her was that the movement right now is only powered by urban and elite women. Those who are truly vulnerable and in the lowest strata of the society are still not speaking up.
It does not matter who is speaking up as long as someone is.
The movement is trying to bring about a change in the mindset of the society. It has already toppled some empires and shaken the power dynamics across industries. Let us not allow the momentum to die down, the fire to burn out, and the anger to simmer down. Let us ensure that the movement once and for all ensures that women can start to leave their house and go in the outside world without fear and with their head held high.
Image source: YouTube
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Mothers do things for you out of love, so please treat them with respect and dignity at your home, especially in front of your in laws, and ask your in laws to share responsibilities.
Motherhood isn’t just a word. It’s a world in itself…of love, labor and commitment that goes beyond a lifetime, when we don’t really have a concept of flying the nest and mothers are required to be battle ready to shoulder every responsibility at any age.
As a new mom I too had my share of struggles like every woman, and reached out to my mom for help. Sadly, since she had health issues of her own she agreed reluctantly and was uneasy throughout her stay, which disappointed me. Only later did I know that she had suffered from serious menopausal problems that made her edgy and nervous in difficult situations, and it left me with a sense of regret of not taking the effort of understanding her troubles.
Neelu might have outwardly forgiven Ramesh, but in her mind, which once was filled with unconditional love for Ramesh, there was now a seed of resentment.
Ramesh’s footsteps paused at the entrance of the hotel’s ballroom. Inside, his school’s reunion party was going in full swing. The air was heavy, as expensive perfumes and the aroma of food from the buffet table, mingled. There were low murmurs, tinkling laughs and clinks of cutlery.
Ramesh had not wanted to come, knowing that she would be there. She, Neelu, who once had been the love of his life. Taking a deep breath, Ramesh entered the room. His eyes found Neelu almost immediately. She still looked the same. Maybe there was now grey in her hair and a few wrinkles on her face. But her vivacity, her mannerisms were still the same. Things, that had first attracted him.
Ex-Union Minister MJ Akbar's defamation suit naming only Priya Ramani, one of the several women who have accused him of sexual harassment during his tenure at The Asian Age came up for hearing today.
Ex-Union Minister MJ Akbar’s defamation suit naming only Priya Ramani, one of the several women who have accused him of sexual harassment during his tenure at The Asian Age came up for hearing today.
It seems like a strange and ridiculous situation of sorts, that the accused in a sexual harassment row, called out by so many women in India’s #MeToo, has the audacity to charge one of those aggrieved women with defamation.
Priya Ramani has pleaded not guilty and asked for a trial. In a two hours long charged up courtroom drama, former Union minister MJ Akbar recorded his statement and was cross examined by Ramani’s lawyer senior advocate Rebecca John.
In a new book titled, I Am A Troll, Sadhavi Khosla speaks out on the ugly social media trolling that she was once part of, and how it targets women in particular.
Sadhavi Khosla, a former volunteer of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), recently made an explosive revelation. In a tell-all interview, in a book titled I Am A Troll, authored by Swati Chaturvedi, she speaks about how the party would instruct her to do social media trolling against Indian public figures.
She says that she was asked to criticize journalists, actors and political figures online and put up malicious posts against them. Notable persons on the hit list she says, included Rahul Gandhi, and Bollywood star Aamir Khan. Sadhvi however decided to call it quits when she was ordered to tweet criticisms of journalists such as Rajdeep Sardesai and Barkha Dutt.