| News Details |
| Kashmir’s own Me Too # KCW- it is different, publicly names and shames molesters and abusers | | gathers information about victims of molestation and harassment. |
Srinagar, October 10, (Scoop News)-In the worldwide tsunami of # Me Too campaign, Kashmir is no exception. Kashmir Women’s Collective (KCW) has collected a list of cases about alleged flirtations, frivolous chats, inappropriate touching and physical assaults by men.
KCW, however, claimed that they are different from # Me Too movement as seen in rest of the country or elsewhere.
Sharing the information with media, they said that they are collecting the information from the victims. The objective of this movement is to publicly name and shame the perpetrators and push them into behaving more responsibly and in a respectful manner towards the women folk.
“In fact we are wary that this will be seen from the context of the political affiliations of abusers and molesters. We are not concerned about an abuser’s political inclination, family name and beliefs. Abusers come from all spheres of life, even the one’s apparently fighting for justice and equality,” the statement added.
The first case mentioned in the list involves a political commentator (name withheld) was asked for help by a girl once and after that he kept sending her weird messages and started to call her randomly and making her uncomfortable. Another ‘anonymous’ accused him of texting messages pressing her to meet.
The next case is of a journalist (name withheld) who was teaching at Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) three years ago. The case said he as her teacher tried to molest her in a gathering. She recounted that they were part of a gathering of about 20 people and started playing a game of truth or dare. He started asking personal questions. He accused her of boarding a car everyday with some person.
Another journalist (name withheld) is also in the list. He has been accused of sexual harassment by several women. A Delhi based women journalists have taken on a social media to expose how they were sexually harassed by three Kashmir based journalists. Two of the women journalists have even named and shamed two Kashmiri journalists.
One of the accused is already under police scanner for his trip to United Kingdom while other one is a photojournalist. Kashmiri journalists accused the women journalists of being morally corrupt, character less and politically sold.
An official of Rural Development Department (RDD) (Name withheld) also figures in the list. A girl charged the official of harassing her repeatedly and systematically. He also passed lewd remarks and tried to take her alone into a room.
Another person in the list (Name withheld) is charged of trying to molest a girl in his office. The victim accused the officer of calling her to his office. She went there with a colleague. He ordered her colleague to leave the office. The officer got up from his chair and tried to kiss her forcefully, she said while narrating her ordeal.
Surprisingly, a former editor and a junior minister in union council of ministers led by Narendra Modi had been accused by four women journalists of alleged sexual harassment. As editor, he was known for his roving eye and hired more young girls than men for the newspaper and it used to be called the editor’s hare. His behavior was both an ‘abuse of power at one level and emotionally destabilizing for young person at another, they alleged.
Meanwhile, the Editors Guild of India has come out in strong support of women journalists who have spoken out about sexual harassment in news rooms and asked media organizations to hold impartial inquest.
Anybody found guilty of sexual harassment or assault should be punished as per the provisions of law, said a statement issued by the Guild
“The Guild extends its total support to all women journalists, who suffered a disadvantage in their careers, physical or mental trauma, as a result of any sexual predation”, it said adding that the guild is also committed to ensuring the legal rights of either the victims or the accused are not violated.
They hailed the women journalists who exhibited courage to bring critical issues in public domain, the statement said.
Statement further said that it was time to improve the awareness, strengthen the internal processes including imparting training to staff
... |
| |
|
|
Share this Story |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|