Tehelka case: sex, lies and lack of videotape

It's all very well to outrage about the Tehelka case; but let's also try and ensure that such cases don't recur. For a truly equal, sexual harassment-free workplace, men and women need to work together, writes Seema Goswami.

Over the last fortnight, the media have been ‘lacerating’ themselves over the sexual assault allegations levelled against Tehelka editor, Tarun Tejpal, by a (now former) staffer of the magazine.

The account of the aggrieved journalist makes for sorry reading, but what was even more disturbing was the attempt by Tehelka to try and pass this off as an ‘internal matter’. When journalists dared ask questions of Tehelka managing editor, Shoma Chaudhury, she shot back angrily: "Are you the aggrieved party?" (Presumably, Shoma, or to call her by what we now discover is her real name, Suparna, was an ‘aggrieved party’ in the Asaram case, or else why would she chose to cover it?)

Well, you know what, Ms Chaudhury? We are all aggrieved parties in this. Not just every woman who has ever had to fend off unwanted sexual advances in the workplace; but every young girl in school and college today, who one day hopes to step into the workforce. Not to mention, every unborn child who deserves to enter into a world in which women are not preyed upon sexually – and then victim-shamed when they summon the courage to speak up.

Seema-Goswami

NARROW MINDED: the only men who were willing to come on TV and defend Tejpal had grown up in an age of entitlement