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Teluguhero Side Hero Username: Teluguhero Post Number: 2903 Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 73.104.252.173 Rating: N/A |
New Delhi: Documentary filmmaker Nishtha Jain has accused Vinod Dua, consulting editor at The Wire and the host of Jan Gan Man Ki Baat, of an incident of sexual harassment and stalking that occurred in 1989. Over the last ten days, as the #MeToo movement has gained ground, Indian women from the media, film industry, comedy scene and other professional areas have been sharing stories of sexual harassment at the workplace. In a Facebook post on Sunday, Jain said that in June 1989, she went for a job interview for a new political satire-based show with Dua, then the anchor of the show Janvani. âBefore I could settle down he began telling a lewd sexual joke in that soft voice, barely opening his mouth.â âHe explained the job and asked me what my expectations were and I quoted an amount that most graduates were getting at the time â 5,000 rupees. He looked at me and said, âTumhari aukat kya hai?â I dont know what had hit me. I was stunned. What was this about? I had faced sexual harassment early in life but this sort of humiliation was a new experience.â A few months later, Jain has said, she got a job at Newtrack, India Todayâs video news magazine. Jain has alleged that Dua learnt of this and would wait for her outside the office when she was working late, and once tried to kiss her after she agreed to talk to him, expecting an apology. âOne night as I came down to the parking, he was thereâ¦He wanted to talk to me and asked me to enter his car⦠Assuming that he wanted to apologise for his behaviour, I entered the car but before I could even settle down he began slobbering all over my face. I managed to get out and get into my office car and leave.â Jain, who runs the independent documentary production house Raintree and is known for the award-winning 2012 documentary Gulabi Gang, told the Indian Express that while she spoke to her brother and lawyer friends about the incidents when they happened, she did not think she could pursue it legally. âI spoke to my brother and two lawyer friends about it, but desisted from lodging a complaint because I didnât think I could pursue it legally. I knew that we could go to court for serious crimes such as rape, but how could I make a case about humiliation?â Responding to a question on why she has chosen to speak out now and why she did not complain before, Jain has said on Facebook, âHow do you prove that someone forcibly kissed you or touched you inappropriately? You cannot. You have to take the womanâs word for it. You have to believe her. Because in most cases there are no witnesses. Would the public have believed me when I spoke 28 years ago? No. What could have I done? There were no ICCs [Internal Complaints Committees]. Police complaint was the only way out. Would I have wanted to go through a due process at the beginning of my professional life?â Dua, a well-known TV personality who has anchored shows on several channels, has denied the allegations and said that he will be releasing a statement soon. The Internal Complaints Committee at The Wire has taken note of Jainâs allegations. In a statement on Sunday, the founding editors of The Wire said, âWe have seen Nishtha Jainâs Facebook post where she accuses Vinod Dua, a consulting editor of The Wire, of an incident of sexual harassment in 1989. Dua denies the charge. Though the incident pertains to 26 years before Mr Duaâs association with The Wire, our ICC has taken note of Ms Jainâs allegation. We await the outcome of their deliberations in the matter.â Asked on Facebook why she was speaking out about the incident now, Jain said, âEven today is not the right time for me to come out. Iâm in a middle of a shoot. Iâm a mid-career filmmaker. I cannot afford this new disruption and the trauma. It will cost me physically, emotionally and professionally. But itâs the right time for the world to listen. The message of MeToo is that any man can be a predator and nearly all women have suffered. Today is the best time to rise and support women who are speaking out and make a safer place for our daughters. | ||
Teluguhero Side Hero Username: Teluguhero Post Number: 2902 Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 73.104.252.173 Rating: N/A |
https://thewire.in/women/filmmaker-accuses-vinod-dua-of-sexu ally-harassing-stalking-her-in-1989-incident Filmmaker Accuses Vinod Dua of Sexually Harassing, Stalking Her in 1989 Incident Documentary filmmaker Nishtha Jain has alleged that Dua would be waiting for her outside the office when she worked late hours and tried to kiss her once. |