If you are a professional in an emerging industry, like gaming, data science, cloud computing, digital marketing etc., that has promising career opportunities, this is your chance to be featured in #CareerKiPaathshaala. Fill up this form today!
Minister of State for External Affairs, MJ Akbar has filed a defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani. He has called her accusations of sexual harassment against him a political conspiracy.
The #metoo movement triggered off by Tanushree Dutta is still going strong in the country. One after the other shocking revelations has been made, adding some powerful names to the infamous list of harassers. One of these names is that of Mr. MJ Akbar – Minister of State for External Affairs.
He has been accused of sexual harassment by journalist Priya Ramani when he was an editor in the field of journalism a decade ago. Post her revelation, more than ten women journalists have come forward to disclose incidents of sexual misconduct by him, usually during job interviews.
After maintaining silence in the beginning, MJ Akbar has now given a statement saying that allegations against him are false and fabricated. Furthermore, he has filed a defamation case against Priya Ramani, claiming that this entire story has been made up to malign his name before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
As per Priya, this is just another tactic to silence her. In a statement, Priya Ramani has responded to the legal notice –
My statement pic.twitter.com/1W7M2lDqPN — Priya Ramani (@priyaramani) October 15, 2018
My statement pic.twitter.com/1W7M2lDqPN
— Priya Ramani (@priyaramani) October 15, 2018
A recent news item also reported that 97 lawyers would be working on this case to defend MJ Akbar. Though the law firm has given their own explanation regarding the numbers, many prominent personalities like Barkha Dutta have ridiculed so many lawyers fighting against one woman.
97 lawyers against one woman @priyaramani . Then they talk of due process #MeToo #MJAkbar. — barkha dutt (@BDUTT) October 15, 2018
97 lawyers against one woman @priyaramani . Then they talk of due process #MeToo #MJAkbar.
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) October 15, 2018
For years now, men in power have acted with impunity and harassed women without any fear of consequences. They felt that their position will always act as a buffer and no woman would dare to raise her voice in protest against them. Even if she did, she would not have the credibility that they enjoy.
They did not foresee how a revolution would suddenly turn the tide against them. Women have decided to stand together and support each other. One after the other skeletons are tumbling out of the closets, and those named are now running to find some way to reclaim their ‘pristine reputations’.
Filing a defamation case may well be the only recourse left for those accused if they want to regain any integrity. It is true that most of these instances have happened years ago and are coming out only now. But the fact that women remember every detail of what happened means that the incident has left a lasting emotional scar on them.
Fear, shame, career issues were some reasons why women kept quiet for almost a decade, but the collective protest has given them the courage to speak up now. This movement is like wildfire, which has now caught and will continue to burn till it scorches all those who acted like predators. In the days to come, many such cases can be expected. Let’s hope that the justice system supports the truth and those who have done wrong are punished.
Editor’s note: This is a developing story that will be updated periodically.
Image Sources: Twitter, & Wikipedia, By Mubasshir Mushtaq – Submitted to OTRS, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
My first book - Second Chances has just released and is present on all online book stores. Do pick up a copy to read about the adventures of a novice ghost. read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Shows like Indian Matchmaking only further the argument that women must adhere to social norms without being allowed to follow their hearts.
When Netflix announced that Indian Matchmaking (2020-present) would be renewed for a second season, many of us hoped for the makers of the show to take all the criticism they faced seriously. That is definitely not the case because the show still continues to celebrate regressive patriarchal values.
Here are a few of the gendered notions that the show propagates.
A mediocre man can give himself a 9.5/10 and call himself ‘the world’s most eligible bachelor’, but an independent and successful woman must be happy with receiving just 60-70% of what she feels she deserves.
Darlings makes some excellent points about domestic violence . For such a movie to not follow through with a resolution that won't be problematic, is disappointing.
I watched Darlings last weekend, staying on top of its release on Netflix. It was a long-awaited respite from the recent flicks. I wanted badly to jump into its praise and will praise it, for something has to be said for the powerhouse performances it is packed with. But I will not be able to in a way that I really had wanted to.
I wanted to say that this is a must-watch on domestic violence that I stand behind and a needed and nuanced social portrayal. But unfortunately, I can’t. For I found Darlings to be deeply problematic when it comes to the portrayal of domestic violence and how that should be dealt with.
Before we rush to the ‘you must be having a problem because a man was hit’ or ‘much worse happens to women’ conclusions, that is not what my issue is. I have seen the praises and criticisms, and the criticisms of criticisms. I know, from having had close associations with non-profits and activists who fight domestic violence not just in India but globally, that much worse happens to women. I have written a book with case studies and statistics on that. Neither do I have any moral qualms around violence getting tackled with violence (that will be another post some day).