This refers to the editorial, “The unassailable case against Mr. Tejpal” (Nov. 25). The Tarun Tejpal case reflects the mindset of many high-profile individuals who think they can do anything and evade the law using their powerful connections. It is important to protect the victim and ensure that the case is not buried after some time.
Ganapathi Bhat,
Akola
The Tehelka case has proved that women are equally to blame for the increase in the number of crimes committed against women, whether as mother-in-law, sister-in-law or senior colleague.
Unless women shrug off their affiliations and begin to think as only women, crimes like sexual harassment will continue to take place.
Priyanka Singh,
New Delhi
Harassment in the workplace is not just about a man taking advantage of a woman out of sexual desire; it is about power being exercised by a superior over his woman subordinate. The power emanates from the fact that the superior can remove the subordinate from work at will. It dampens the employee’s spirit and affects her sense of judgment. It is not easy to fight such a case. It entails going public with something that one may want to forget.
K. Suresh Babu,
Tiruchi
Tarun Tejpal is like many corporate honchos and others in high places who flaunt their position and power to explore and exploit. Till such time that women go into hiding to protect their identity and hesitate to openly challenge their perverted colleagues, men will continue to assume that women are indeed weak and, for them, the shame of being exposed is greater than the shame of being molested. The Tehelka employee deserves praise for showing the way.
Indira Balagopalan,
Thiruvananthapuram
When a woman who is sexually harassed complains boldly, belying the perpetrator’s belief that she will never do so, he tries the next trick of making society believe that the ‘encounter’ was ‘consensual.’ In almost all sexual harassment cases reported in the media, I have heard people criticise the victim. Sexual harassment originates from the culture of silence. This needs to change.
C.V. Sukumaran,
Palakkad
