PTI, MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: The #MeToo fire raged on Tuesday, charring carefully built up reputations as more women narrated their experiences in the wide spectrum of sexual misconduct with Union minister M J Akbar and character actor Alok Nath amongst those named for their alleged actions.
While External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj refused to answer a question on the allegations against her junior minister, a journalist-turned-politician, the ripples of the movement to call out those who had allegedly sexually harassed women, verbally or physically, were felt across the media and entertainment industry.
As the debate around what constitutes sexual harassment and concerns over due process intensified across newsrooms, drawing rooms and social media platforms, several senior journalists joined the list of those “named and shamed” by women. Expressing its gratitude and solidarity towards women journalists for their courage, the Editors Guild said in a statement that it is committed to ensuring that the legal rights the victims and the accused are not violated.
“The Guild extends its total support to all women journalists, who suffered a disadvantage in their careers, physical or mental trauma, as a result of any sexual predation,” it said.
Perhaps the most harrowing experience to be shared was by writer-producer Vinta Nanda, who accused the “most Sanskaari person”, as actor Alok Nath is known, of raping her more than once 19 years ago.
The Cine and TV Artists Association Tuesday said it would send Nath a show-cause notice.
“Dear @vintananda I am so so sorry… Unfortunately we’ve to follow the due process. I urge you to file a complaint against this vile creature, we extend you full support,” CINTAA general secretary Sushant Singh wrote to Nanda. Nanda, best known for the TV show “Tara”, gave a detailed account of the alleged assaults in a lengthy Facebook post Monday night, the latest expose in the #MeToo movement sweeping India which started last fortnight with Tanushree Dutta alleging that she was harassed by veteran actor Nana Patekar during a film shoot in 2008.
Nanda did not name Nath but referred to her attacker as “the most Sanskaari (cultured) person”, a sobriquet attached with the actor courtesy his on-screen image of playing the goody-goody father, uncle and grandfather.
