I’ll be 39 in exactly ten days. I’m a mother of two daughters—21 and 15. I have all the privileges that you can count—caste, class, religion, skin colour, education, everything. My LinkedIn profile is for everyone to see and assess my professional standing. I have been writing books, book chapters, journal papers, issue briefs, policy papers, media commentaries, poetry, and even extended social media posts on gender equity, violence against women, women’s health, etc, for the past 18 years. 

Yet, I’m utterly helpless, and I don’t know when this will stop. The screenshots are self-explanatory. 

Predictably, this sexual harassment started innocuously with a LinkedIn connection request from a man named Tulsi Kumar and my polite response to a “thank you for adding me” message in May 2024. Then came a barrage of unsolicited DMs on LinkedIn, ostensibly for professional work. I ignored it all. (Us women, we get by with ignoring a lot.)

Making Women Invisible

And on the morning of 10 September, I woke up to the same old sexually charged bullshit. This man also found my Instagram earlier yesterday and left likes and comments there. I’ve had a policy of keeping my social accounts open because that’s who I am as a person—transparency, etc. 

The screenshots clearly reveal that this behaviour was entirely unprovoked, far from being impulsive, almost premeditated. And that apology? It’s as if “liking” me “too much” mandates this behaviour. I made him do it. 

What is it about men? Why must they act like subhumans almost every time? Women are made to watch over their shoulders even more in digital space.  I have written multiple times about the intellectual moorings of this trend of making women invisible by either blocking women’s entry to, or bullying them out of public spaces. It is clear that men have a problem with women in general. But the world is, generally, comfortable with it. The only problem is with women highlighting this problem that men have a problem with women. Families, establishments, technocrats, editors—all act in unison to tackle that problem.

A Daily Dose Of Hatred

“Not all men” tribe, please sit down. Unless you wake up to such crudeness and sexual harassment from random stranger women even in your professional account’s inbox routinely, don’t even think of making your case. This tribe has made it almost impossible for women to express their frustrations with this daily dose of hatred hurled at them. This hatred has many forms, and what I received in my inbox is nothing but garden-variety sexual entitlement. It’s so common, happening day after day, inbox after inbox, that our senses ought to be numb towards it. But are they?

What’s even more frustrating—almost criminal—however, is that LinkedIn doesn’t even give an option for reporting harassment on its platform when you proceed to block and report someone. The reportage mechanism doesn’t even consider sexual harassment. Digital safety, oh joy! Is LinkedIn unaware of such incidents? Its jargon-heavy proclamations on members’ safety are almost laughable when there’s not even a mention of harassment faced by women. “How our content abuse defence systems work to keep members safe” — No, whatever your systems are, they have failed miserably in keeping your members safe.

Digital Safety And Censorship

The problem with the discourse on digital safety, mirroring physical safety, is that it is vitiated by censorship. The urge to curb and ban free speech is the default one for all digital safety purposes. Add to this mix the malafide political digital activity and let’s bid adieu to any real progress on making social media platforms safe. Women are the easiest victims to ignore everywhere, and digital space is no exception. 

Such is the psycho-social impact of not taking women seriously—socio-culturally, politically, economically, and at policy levels—that women themselves tend to believe in their second-class status. “What is the point?” Nothing screams despair louder than these four words. We are almost convinced that we do not matter. How does one even complain when the problem is not even recognised systemically? LinkedIn reporting process exemplifies it.  The platform’s social media help team reached out to me only after I made a public post. They bombarded me with links to file a complaint. I’ve done it. I’ve also been trying to lodge an FIR on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, but it is glitching. The process is a punishment for the victim long before the culprit is even located.

Nobody Likes A Woman With A Voice

I once wrote a paper on how the Hellenistic division of oikos (private space) and polis (public space) doesn’t apply to women. Their oikos is also polis because they are denied a voice even in the oikos. This latest incident of sexual harassment is aimed precisely at that—breaking women from within when and where they expect it the least. We don’t want a woman with a voice, so we’ll weaponise her voice against her. I’ve only chosen to write about this incident and not all the others in the past just to assert one thing. 

Yes, we women are growing tired of resisting and revolting.
No, we won’t stop it just yet. Try breaking us some more. 

 (Nishtha Gautam is a Delhi-based author and academic.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Actor Sruthi Hariharan.
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Kannada actor Sruthi Hariharan has called for a forum in the Kannada film industry along the lines of the K. Hema Committee, which was constituted by the Government of Kerala following Women in Cinema Collective’s (WCC) petition in 2017.

Published recently, the Hema Committee report revealed horrid tales of sexual exploitation, illegal bans, discrimination, drug and alcohol abuse, wage disparity and in some cases, inhuman working conditions in the Malayalam film industry. Following the report, allegations of sexual harassment from several women have rocked Mollywood.

Sruthi, known for films such as Lucia, Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu, Beautiful Manasugalu and Nathicharami, took to Instagram to express her opinion on the ongoing issue. “It would be great to have a committee similar to that of the Justice K. Hema Committee for an unbiased and fair investigation on the working conditions of women across all departments of the Kannada film industry,” she wrote.

“Please don’t sensationalise this and just focus on the sexual harassment angle. A committee like this will go far beyond just that and help uplift and empower women in many other ways,” added the National Award-winning actor.

In 2018, Sruthi had accused popular actor Arjun Sarja of sexual harassment amidst the #MeToo wave. Even as Sarja denied the allegations, Sruthi filed a complaint against Sarja with the Cubbon Park police station in Bengaluru. Three years after the complaint, the investigation was closed by the cops due to ‘lack of evidence’.

In 2019, the actor had said that she didn’t regret raising her voice but felt victimised for doing so. “I have sacrificed my career opportunities in the medium of expression I liked the most,” she had told The Hindu.

Recently, leading women actors, producers and directors demanded that the Telangana government release the 2022 report on sexual harassment in the Telugu film industry. Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu had said that she “welcomed the Hema Committee report and applauded the persistent efforts of the WCC in Kerala.”

In the Tamil film industry, veteran actor Radhika Sarathkumar said that actors harbouring political ambitions should voice support for women from their own industry. She added that it’s the responsibility of the producers to make sure a film set is a conducive environment for women artistes.

New Delhi:

The #MeToo movement across the Malayalam film industry has created waves across the country with several young actors now speaking out about the abuse they faced at the hands of veteran directors, producers, and actors. Film director Ranjith now facing serious allegations of sexual misconduct, with two separate cases filed against him. The latest complaint has been lodged by a young actor who alleges he was sexually abused by Ranjith in 2012.

According to the complaint filed with the Kochi police, the victim was lured to a hotel in Bengaluru under the pretext of an audition. Ranjith allegedly forced the victim to strip and assaulted him, promising prominent roles in exchange. The victim claimed he believed it was part of the audition process and was even offered money the next morning.

This is the second case of sexual allegations against Ranjith. Earlier, a Bengali actor had filed a complaint against him, alleging sexual assault. The Kochi police have registered an FIR in connection with her complaint, which alleges that she was assaulted in a hotel in Kochi.

Ranjith denied the accusations, explaining that Mitra was called for an audition for the movie ‘Paleri Manikyam’, but he decided that she was not suitable for the role and sent her back.

Amid mounting pressure on the government, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team for the probe into the allegations made in the wake of the Hema Committee report being published.

Ranjith, who was the Chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, quit the post on Sunday after tremendous pressure was put on the Pinarayi Vijayan government by the Opposition parties and the media had a field day ever since the Hema Committee report which was made public recently, exposing “rampant sexual abuse” in the Malayalam film industry.

New Delhi:

Three weeks after his daughter, a student of the National Institute of Fashion Technology died by suicide in Bhubaneswar, a Delhi man is still searching for answers. The distraught father has alleged the 22-year-old had said in her suicide note that she was drugged and sexually harassed at a party.

The 4th-year NIFT student (names withheld) was found dead at her rented accommodation in Bhubaneswar, which she shared with some other students of the college. She was found hanging from a ceiling fan by her neighbour, a fellow NIFT student, and her mother, who broke down the door after she did not respond when they rang the doorbell or called her on her phone repeatedly.

The student’s father has said the police registered a case of abetment to suicide only on May 4, after he flew down to Bhubaneswar. He has also filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission.

He alleged that, in her suicide note, his daughter had said she was drugged and sexually harassed at a party by a man, which had made her turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with the traumatic incident. She had also written that she felt out of place in the fashion world and was unable to deal with the pressure.

Her flatmates said they did not know about any such incident but said she had been under stress, which they had chalked up to the anxiety of getting placements.

The institute’s authorities refused to comment, but sources said a committee has been formed to probe the reasons behind her death.

“NIFT allows no parties inside the campus in which alcohol is served. We don’t know what happened outside the campus,” said a source.

“I cannot bring back my daughter, but I want to ensure that she gets justice. I want to make sure nothing like this ever happens to any student studying in NIFT,” he added.

New Delhi:

The counsel for BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh argued on Monday that there is no basis for allegations levelled against the former chief of the Wrestling Federation Of India, or WFI.

He also argued that Mr Singh, an accused in the case of sexual harassment of women wrestlers, only checked the athletes’ pulse rate. 

“Without sexual intent checking pulse rate is not an offence,” he said.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar have been charge-sheeted in a case of sexual harassment, lodged on the basis of complaints by six women wrestlers.

The Oversight Committee was not formed on the basis of any complaint but on the basis of tweets posted tagging the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Ministry of Home Affairs, the counsel argued.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate after hearing the part arguments listed the matter for further arguments on October 19.

Advocate Rajiv Mohan appeared for the BJP MP and argued that on January 18, 2023, the first protest began at Jantar Mantar and on January 19, one of the wrestlers, Babita Phogat, met the Union Minister for Sports.

He further argued that on January 20, 2023, the Sports Ministry and the Home Ministry were tagged on tweets. “Till this time no complaint was filed,” Advocate Rajiv Mohan said on behalf of Mr Singh.

It was stated that on January 23 the Oversight Committee was formed. 

“On the basis of the Government of India letter. The report was forwarded to Deputy Commissioner of Police New Delhi,” he said.

The defence counsel further argued that the Oversight Committee’s report is a part of the charge sheet and relies on documents, meaning thereby, it is a relied-upon document. It was supplied to police in pursuance of notice by police, the counsel argued.

“Till its (Oversight Committee) formation, there were no written or oral allegations,” the counsel argued.

On the point of the period of limitation, advocate Rajiv Mohan submitted that there is a difference between offence molestation and sexual harassment.

He argued that the wrestlers were well aware of what sexual harassment is and that the offence of sexual harassment is punishable by a period of three years, which is time-barred after three years.

Therefore to suit their case, the allegations of molestation were added to the complaints. The offence of sexual harassment is punishable with imprisonment of five years, he added.

He also pointed out that the Oversight Committee exonerated the coaches against whom allegations were levelled.

Advocate Mohan further argued that the letter is on record, which shows that the Oversight Committee was formed by the Government of India.

“If I am not exonerated, I am also not implicated in the report of the oversight committee,” Advocate Rajiv Mohan pointed out.

He submitted that the foundation of the allegations is not based on any complaint.

“Since there was no complaint to the Ministry or the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the committee proceeded on the basis of tweets,” he said.

Even after the formation of the committee, no complaint was filed, he added.

It was also submitted that the complainants were summoned their statements were recorded and the proceedings were video recorded. Only two affidavits out of six complainants were filed before the committee.

On the point of breathing pattern checking, the accused’s counsel referred to the statement of one of the witnesses who stated she never saw him (accused) touching any girl in an inappropriate manner. “He used to check the pulse rate,” the accused’s counsel submitted.

“Checking pulse without sexual intent is not an offence,” he added.

On the point of alleged incidents at the WFI Office, the BJP MP submitted, “I never called anyone to my WFI office. The complainant came on her own to confront me.”

As the complainant was not focusing on her game but more on tweets, he added.

“Why should I have checked the breathing pattern without occasion? It was not an occasion at my office to check it. If I was intended to molest, why would I check the breathing pattern by touching the stomach?” he asked.

“There is no mention of a breath test in the affidavit given by a complainant, he added. However, it was mentioned in the complaints,” the counsel argued.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)