How Not to Handle a Sexual Harassment Complaint: A Guide by ‘India’s Most Watched English News’ Channel
The beginning of September 2020 saw another sexual harassment case in the country coming to light. Only it didn’t truly come to light as talking about allegations against industry biggies is still a taboo.
The MD and CEO of Times Now, M.K. Anand has been accused by a former employee of the channel of sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, and demanding sexual favors. The employee on denying his “requests” was conveniently sacked, after giving 12 years to the organization. Because a woman losing her job after years of putting in her hard work is just another disadvantage that comes along when you identify yourself with the female gender.
Most important issue this week that the media conveniently ignored:
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) September 1, 2020
A former employee of @TimesNow has leveled allegations of sexual harassment against the channel’s MD & CEO M. K. Anand
She has also alleged that he touched her inappropriately & demanded sexual favors.
(1/6)
If that wasn’t enough, the channel came out with what perhaps is one of the most cliché responses to a situation like this- a statement blaming the victim.
The former employee is now being subjected to a complaint against her by the channel, on grounds of blackmail and criminal intimidation.
This is the shameful statement issued by @TimesNow. The same old “why didn’t she speak up all this while” blaming.
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) September 1, 2020
They don’t even know if she was fired for non-performance or Covid-19 restructuring.
But they deemed it fit to bully her instead by filing a case.
(3/6) pic.twitter.com/N822iZQqeG
This piece of news has, of course, not been reported by other media outlets in the country, barring a few. The same media outlets that otherwise would not leave any stone unturned to bring the other down, have simply turned a blind eye towards this development. The wrath of a person in power is worse than not being objective and truthful for the fourth pillar of democracy.
Come to think of it, for a channel whose priority simply lies at the center of a Bollywood actor’s demise and how the love interest of his life is at fault, this does not come as a surprise.
Blaming the woman is a norm in the country, especially in such cases, and is the major reason behind why the “log kya kahenge” mindset comes to the forefront when a woman has to report against a man in power.
The lack of support at work, not just from other employees, but also from the good-for-nothing teams set up in compliance with the POSH act, is also why women find it hard to gather the courage and speak up. The handful of victims who manage to come up to the forefront to speak, end up exposing themselves to public scrutiny and an eventual loss of a job. Losing peace of mind, self-respect and identity are more acceptable but the fear of losing an entire career and even their lives in certain cases is why most sexual harassment cases at workplaces go unreported.
When the need to speak up overpowers, as it did in the case of Times Now’s former employee, the victim is bound to be exposed to a hostile environment and a never-ending cycle of court-runs. Lack of trust, long tedious processes, and the innumerable challenges that a victim goes through while filing a complaint against a senior official make it not worth losing one’s years of career.
The problem does not only lie while addressing these complaints. At the center lies the non-addressed issue pertaining to the inherent gender roles and power relations at workplaces. Another reason why movements like #MeToo and ‘Ab Samjhauta Nahi’ in India barely scratch the surface as they fail to trickle down to all sections of the society. The victim, more often than not, is subjected to her thoughts and mentality owing to the centuries-old, deeply rooted issues within the society.
So much so, that if the case in point Times Now soon issues another statement blaming the victim for indulging into inappropriate behavior and ‘triggering’ her senior, it won’t come as a shock. Because at the end of the day, organizations are driven towards protecting their high performers, and normalizing such behavior by senior personnel is what comes naturally to them. Thanks to the power dynamics that prevail, it’s easier to silence a woman and freeze her complaint than to take action to ensure that no other employee suffers a similar fate.
‘Ignorance is bliss’ is what might just be an ideal tagline for the channel in the near future.