An activist and rape survivor who spoke at a session on sexual abuse at the Tehelka-organised THiNK festival, slammed the management’s double standards in handling the case of a Tehelka journalist who was allegedly assaulted by editor Tarun Tejpal during the same festival in Goa two weeks ago.
“It can’t get more ironic than this,” said the activist, who spoke at the festival in a session titled ‘The Beast In Our Midst: Rape Survivors Speak Their Stories’ along with other rape survivors, a session moderated by managing editor Shoma Chaudhury. “I initially found it hard to imagine that Shoma wouldn’t stand up for my friend.”
The activist, who faced abuse for several years, had described the trauma he underwent as a boy. He said, at the festival itself he sensed something was amiss with the journalist. “I knew something was wrong,” he said. “She looked perturbed. Once I heard her account, I wasn’t shocked. Rather, I wasn’t shocked to hear about Tarun, but I was shocked by Shoma’s reactions.”