#ME TOO: AN ABHORRED AWAKENING

The #metoo campaign has spread across borders and reached the country which worships women as goddesses at the same time carries out chilling violence against them. It has barged into the doors of the highest levels of the government and in many fields has caused shocking revelations. Alok Nath, MJ Akbar, Nana Patekar, Chetan Bhagat, Vairamuthu and the list goes on. Many of these men had gone for the more courteous way of dealing with allegations by either publicly apologising or by stepping down. Not surprisingly, some others have denied such allegations by branding them as a ‘publicity stunt’ and misused the legal tool of the judiciary: defamation. But India’s experience with the #metoo movement is different from that of other countries. It is important to understand that India is slowly opening up by questioning and challenging its own and others’ beliefs. Decriminalisation of Section 377, Striking down Section 497 and allowing women into the Sabarimala temple are just a few examples. Like a little child with wide eyes, it is slowly opening its horizon of thinking, accepting and rejecting new ideas suiting to its needs. With that background, it wouldn’t be shocking to see a few well known personalities sidelining this movement. They ask what they think is a very valid question “Why are you opening up now but not then?” and statements like “You could have just slapped him” This sort of victim blaming is unacceptable in any time context. The victim’s mental state when they are being harassed is unfathomable for these cultural specialists. Instead of extending their support for those who came out, it has become a norm to question them and suggest what they should have done. This shakes down the victim’s morale as in spite of telling the truth they are chided over a time span for them to recover. Even if they had ‘slapped’ them or actually faced the torturous process of going through trial years ago, what would have happened? It would have brought about no radical change in society simply because of the fact that society then was not one which encouraged victims to speak up and harassment topped the list of taboo. As a matter of fact, a law for sexual harassment at work place was in place only 5 years ago. There is also the popularly held belief that #metoo movement is temporary and does nothing more than shame a few abusers. This is incorrect on various levels. The fact that millions of women have spoken about their traumatic experience makes them an army of warriors. They are not going to go away any time soon. Hollow apologies and unequal compensation behind the screens have been replaced by public apologies, stepping down, and court trials. It is set in motion a radical change and belief that there is some force which is there to support the victim and leaves the abusers with a strong message that they are not going to be let free. Some have even made the movement seem like a sort of game where people just accuse each other to settle scores. The Union Minister for Shipping and Finance asked “If someone makes an allegation that such a thing happened, when the incident happened we were playing together while in class 5, would it be fair?” The #metoo movement is not some sort of political arena where people make blunt unchecked allegations against each other. This is a worldwide phenomenon which involves a serious level of criminality. When John Oliver (political comedian) asked Anita Hill (a famous advocate who accused her senior of harassment in the 80s but was instead subjected to public scorn) whether men should be scared to be around women, she answered “Not if they are not harassers”. #Metoo movement has left something innate to human life: hope. Hope that no victim would go unheard and no harasser would go unpunished. As Winfrey Oprah said “Take us to the time where nobody has to say ‘me too’ again”.