The Indian media has been slurred like never before. This is not only because a high-profile and respected journalist has been accused of sexual assault of a fellow journalist, but also because a section of the fraternity that propagates women’s rights, has tried to shield the perpetrator of the crime.
Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal not only represents free and fair journalism, but also one that is not afraid of pressure. That he assaulted a colleague, years junior to him, was made worse with both him and Tehelka managing editor Shoma Chaudhary trying to negate the issue and taking the easy way out. Both have tried to put a spin to the chain of events but have only made the situation deplorable.
The controversy broke out a few days ago after the victim journalist wrote a detailed email to Chaudhary explaining the events that allegedly took place in Goa where the magazine had organized its Think Fest in mid-November. The victim recounted every detail minutely, including the exchange of messages between her and Tejpal, after he tried to assault her twice and also copied the mail to three fellow journalists whom she had confided in after the incident to make her case strong.
In return, Tejpal sent Choudhury an apologetic email saying that he wanted to atone for his misconduct by “recusing” himself from editorship for six months. He went on to talk about how he built the magazine, which has always been “on the side of equity and justice”, out of his “blood, toil, tears and sweat”. This self imposed penance amounts to justice which in fact, came across as an act of hubris than a real sense of shame at what he did.
While the victim had also demanded in her mail to Chaudhary to set up a committee to look into the matter, it was only after the controversy broke out in the media that an otherwise defiant Chaudhary decided to act. She wrote: “In furtherance to Tehelka’s acceptance of Tarun Tejpal’s recusal from editorship of Tehelka on November 20 which followed the official unconditional apology he had mailed to the journalist concerned on November 19, Tehelka has now constituted a formal complaints committee, in accordance to Vishaka guidelines, to be presided over by Urvashi Butalia, eminent feminist and publisher, to investigate the matter. The other members of the committee will be announced shortly…
In addition to this, Tehelka will ensure setting up a formal complaints committee, according to section 4 of the Sexual Harassment of Women (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Act, 2013), an institutional mechanism that was sorely missing in Tehelka.”
This only made the matter worse as clamour for legal action against Tejpal grew. It further snowballed with the Goa police considering summoning Tejpal as questions were raised over the way the weekly magazine handled the issue. The latest in the controversy is an FIR being registered against Tejpal and Chaudhary deposing before the Goa police. However, some clear issues emerge.
The first is the lack of understanding of assault in the country. There are Supreme Court judgments that clearly mention that every act of non-consensual sex with a woman is nothing less than an attempt to rape. In Tejpal’s case, it was definitely not assault because the victim clearly mentioned in her mail that “he penetrated her, despite resistance, with his fingers before withdrawing”. Furthermore, the fact that Tejpal has admitted to the incident and taken responsibility for the same makes it clear it was a case of rape. The fact that the magazine did not want to deal with it like that and placed Tejpal above the incident only shames the media fraternity and the country.
The second issue that emerges is the lack of will power to deal publicly with issues of assault and rape. The magazine’s conduct in the last few days has shocked the country, especially since Tehelka has always been fighting for women’s rights.
Chaudhury, in fact, hit out at the fact that Tejpal was being accused of rape, saying that basic reporting guidelines dictated that the word ‘alleged’ should be used in describing the incident. She added that now that the case was no longer an institutional affair and was in the public domain, Tejpal had a right to provide his version of the story. Chaudhury added that it was sad that she was being seen as acting against the victim, when she was actually very proud that she had spoken out. She added, however, that if the girl’s statement was proven to be correct, she would call the incident rape or an attempt to rape.
This reveals her own lack of judgment despite being a strong knowledgeable orator and journalist. Her lack of will power in constituting a panel to probe the issue is only in resemblance of the larger society that is increasingly patriarchal and chooses to deal with such issues behind closed doors.
A third important aspect of the controversy has been of the good and the ugly side of social media. Since the news broke, the clamour for justice and against Tejpal on social media has only put pressure on the perpetrator, the magazine as well as the centre and the Goan government to take purposeful action. However, an appalling side of the social media also emerged, a section of which abused Tejpal’s daughter for what was solely his crime as an individual. From suggesting she has been brought up in a brothel to abusing her for not speaking up against her father right away, the social media militia turned on Tejpal’s daughter with a full blown slander campaign forcing the young girl to delete her Twitter account immediately.
What the situation demands is that a precedent be set. And that does not only mean punishing Tejpal. Rape is not an internal matter. It concerns every citizen in this country. It concerns the women youth of this country. If they are stopped from entering the workforce, how will any real systemic change ever occur? The older generation has a responsibility to provide a merit-based interactive professional environment — not one based on coercive sordid favours. Lastly, the ‘untoward incident’ shows the absolute ethical rot of its own structures of hypocrisy, manipulation and cynicism. It has shown arrogance and even double standards. And the fact is that today’s informed population understands this.
Justice does not only mean punishment, that will be too simple. It means honouring the incident, the victim, the people, the law and the country. Especially in this case.
Feedback: abatra@exchange4media.com
