Early Times Report
JAMMU, Oct 10: Finally, the #MeToo movement has reached Jammu, with allegations by a journalist against a Padma Shri awardee theatre activist who was a bureaucrat in the Farooq Abdullah-led government in 1999.
In her Facebook page, the senior journalist has explained the ordeal she had to encounter because of the powerful bureaucrat.
The journalist was on her first assignment with a local newspaper in Jammu and Kashmir in 1999. She had gone to interview this cultural activist and the meeting turned out to be her first experience of sexual harassment. "That was a life changing moment and lesson for me", she has said.
She said that she had written the transcript and the entire interview, which included sexual remarks and innuendos. The interview was published on front page along with a strong editorial note addressed to the bureaucrat.
The journalist has further said that the news was circulated across the state and other newspapers, which led a campaign against the bureaucrat. "The Farooq Abdullah led government took no action against the cultural activist", she has said, but the bureaucrat had reportedly apologized.
The bureaucrat was later awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India, for his contributions to Indian theatre.
The journalist was appreciated by a large number of followers and friends, who have also termed the theatre activist a repeated offender. One of the respondents has written that though the theatre activist was a serial offender and misogynist, no one openly spoke against him, and they thanked the journalist for speaking against him.
Another respondent alleged that many allegations were levelled against the bureaucrat by the female actresses, but every time he escaped any action. "It is still astonishing why parents send their girls to the theatre activist for acting", another respondent said. |
