“In the post modern era, family, husband-wife relationship, discipline
in sexual relationship has become an outdated one. At present any person can
have relationship with anyone they wish. If both the person has consent, who
has the right to interfere.”- This is the
philosophy forwarded by the Male corporate world and the upper elite literary
society to legitimate their promiscuous living as the so called revolt against
morality. They take the authority by saying that in this type of promiscuous
act female will not express her interest, but only the male has to take
initiative. Even if the woman objects then she has to be coerced because this
is the right of man and not only that, but a way to protect women rights. Along
with this philosophy when disgusting ideology and authority join hands then it
becomes a dangerous weapon in the hands of men. Engels described Family as a
patriarchal institution in the Origin of Family, Private Property and State.
But the understanding of post modernists and Marxists differ here. The society
we are living is a semi feudal society. Patriarchy works in different strata of
society, the level may differ. In rural areas caste works as a tool to exploit
women. In the corporate society the authority is used to exploit women. Women
who come out of their home to work in corporate companies are not free from the
clutches of patriarchy and feudalism in the Indian society. The above argument
is a tool in the hands of men to exploit women. The recent instances of
sexual harassment against women in different institutions i.e. harassment
of the intern lawyer in judiciary by the supreme court judge, sexual and
caste based harassment of students by professors in the universities (in the universities like JNU), sexual
harassment of journalists in media justify the sexual harassment of
women in the so called ‘postmodern-world’ which express any kind of relations
within semi-feudal structures as just.
We can quote the Madras high court judgment here about marriage. Living
together may be considered as a progressive thing. But in most of the cases the male use
to exploit women during the relationship. At
the last instance women are the one who are affected. Women can choose their
partners only when they are economically free. But in today’s world in everyday
life, the women who work in IT sector have to adjust with sexually coloured
remarks, behaviors and words uttered in the name of jokes which carry abusive
meanings, which have to be tolerated by them to grow in their professional
life. The fear of economic
loss after resignation and the fear of making the issue public stops women from
leaving the job and make them to tolerate. Making use of their situations persons
like Tarun Tejpal each and every day make these innocent women as prey for
their evil desires.
How a
woman has to face the verbal comments that are made by persons who are holding
authority in the context of concern or sense of humour? In 1999, a woman
journalist who was working in Outlook faced a sexual harassment when a
glamorous photo of her showing her hip was circulated to all the staff in the
office by a fellow colleague. When this was complained to the management by
that affected woman, Shoma Chaudhury who was in-charge of the office advised
saying ‘these types of complaints are not encouraged by the management and so
accept an apology from the person concerned and conclude the issue’. The
victimized woman journalist with no other alternative accepted that solution.
But within three months of this incident the accused of the above act was given
promotion. The affected journalist got frustrated and resigned her job. This
Outlook magazine is owned and started by Rakeja a Real Estate Company with
Vinoth Mehta as its Editor and Tarun Tejpal as its Administrative Editor at
that point of time. Tarun Tejpal grown up in a military area as his father was
an army man where he learned that how authority works and how it can be used.
Journalists like Ashish Khaitan and Anirudha Pagaal were pioneer in
conducting sting operations and brought to light about political corruption,
corporate corruption and policies against people. Tehalka journalist’s fearless
investigations were kept at the feet of Tarun Tejpal and all these fame added
feather to his hat. In 2007 ‘The Guardian’ has mentioned his name as India’s
important person. In 2009 Business week magazine’s ‘Powerful person list’
listed his name in the 49th position
next to Ratan Tata and prior to Sachin Tendulkar.
Tarun
Tejpal is smart enough in differentiating the social evils that was protested
by Tehalka and the donors of Tehelka who were involved in those social evils.
Raman Kirpal wrote a cover story about Goa’s iron ore Mafia which Tehalka never
published. As per State Public Accounts Committee of Goa this mafia has
incurred a loss of Rs. 3000 crore to the state exchequer. It was published
after Raman Kirpal made his exit from Tehalka and joined the First Post, an
online magazine. In the name of Corporate Social Responsibility, Telhalka
published an article about Vedanta’s Lachigar and Niyamgiri. The editor whose
name was mentioned in that news later announced in public that he has not
written that news.
In 2011, Tehalka arranged its Think fest at Goa. For this conference
Tehalka’s Editor, Tarun Tejpal and his sister Neena Tejpal met Goa’s Chief
Minister Digambar Kamat. And this conference was arranged in Grand Hayiath
Hotel, Pambolin Beach, Goa. According to Raman Kirpal’s article those owner of
the mines who were involved in the scams are also the Directors of this hotel.
And this hotel was constructed on the sea shore without following the standard
norms that has been codified for construction of buildings on sea shore. Essar
Groups, Tata steel were included as delegates for Think fest 2011. Neena Tejpal
said, “Essar and Tehalka are having same goals.” Along with these corporates
(who grabbed the tribal lands in Nyamagiri, who were involved in scams in the
allotment of coal mines) Telhelka decided to continue their protest against the
corruption. Gujarat’s Adani Group, United Phosphate, Coco Cola were part of
Tehalka’s sponsers list. According to CAG where the Karnataka Coal scam has
incurred a loss to the extent of Rs. 890 Crores to the state ex-chequer. JSW
steel which gave Rs. 20 crores as donation to Edyurappa’s Son was one of the
sponser. Pepava an arms supplying company which had an agreement with Indian
Coast Guard for supplying War Ships has provided fund for the programme. The
speakers invited for the conference are Odhisa Mine and Cable TV President and a
Member of Parliament representing BJD Pai Jayand Jai Panda, and Vijaymalaya who
publishes calendar with glamorous models.
Third Think fest held this year from November 8th to November 10th was Tarun Tejpal utilizing his
corporate authority and the so called right of men committed sexual assault on
a women journalist who was his colleague. After making his position stable with
the support of Corporates, Tarun Tejpal exhibits his perverted behavior. As
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said while expressing his view on Coal Mine
allotment Scam that “there is no mistake in the idea of privatising the coal
mines, some mistakes may have taken place while deciding one or two
applications”. Same way Tarun Tejpal says “In his behaviour nor in his concept
there was no mistakes, there is no problem in his behaviour with women but this
time mistake has taken place in deciding”. Because of some prominent journalist
of Tehalka - the mask of right wing Hindu fascists torn down and their
corruption and the mass killings were brought to light. Now, those Hindu
fascists are making use of this issue, and want to tarnish the name of Tarun
Tejpal. Not only him but they are painting the whole of Tehalka as villain. BJP
wants to satisfy its vengeance and spreads this news throughout the country.
All these incidents will not make the scams and the mass killing of the
barbaric Hindutuva followers that was published by Tehalka, untrue. Hindu
fascists have a strong enemity on Tehalka for bringing into light about Modi’s
barbaric act to the world is a known fact. ABVB
and their cohorts in this campus do not have any rights to condemn Tarun Tejpal
which by itself has all sorts of tainted sexual remarks in the name of
religion, caste, epic and even as ideology. In analyzing the remark ‘that Congress
supported Tehalka and Tehalka supported Congress’, one can explain that
Congress never came forward to utilize the weapon of Tehalka’s documents
relating to Gujarat riots to curb and control the Hindu fascists rather it used
as a best tool to canvas the votes of Muslim population.
The downfall of Tarun Tejpal is no way different from the downfall of
the corporate funding Tehelka magazine. Committing a crime is an offence and
that crime cannot be justified by simply stating ‘mistake has taken place in
deciding the crime’ and that can be considered as another crime. This is an
instance to learn a lesson about the corporate culture which justifies casteist
and sexual harassment in the name of ‘postmodern values’ of liberation.
