The 50-year-old Tejpal had gained renown as a sting-operation-journalist who busted prominent politicians of the right wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for accepting bribes in lieu of major government contracts but now he stands disgraced for charges that the victim alleged to have been committed on two successive evenings in a hotel elevator.
The matter spilled into the public domain when emails of his apology, where he acknowledged his acts as “an inherent disbalance of power in my position as editor-in-chief and you as an employee of Tehelka,” to the victim got leaked.
With new anti-rape laws making non-consensual penetration, a rape, and abuse of position of power, an extreme crime, this email could help prosecutors nail Tejpal to 10 years of imprisonment.
Notwithstanding the fact that he is a decorated novelist, an old media personality and that his magazine had been leading from the front for justice for women, especially with its feminist managing editor Shoma Chaudhury hitherto hailed as the champion women rights’ campaigner, news of his alleged crime created a tsunami of criticism and outrage from within the quarters of the media fraternity.
While friends of Tejpal and Congress sympathizers and right wing supporters trade charges of the sordid affair being either a “pre-planned conspiracy” or name Tejpal a “stooge” of the Congress.
Presently Tejpal who appears guilty prima facie remains in Goa police custody in process of filing for a bail appeal as state administration assures a fair trial to the accused.
An Unresolved Indian Issue
The gruesome rape incident of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in Delhi ignited and galvanized the nation to protest for speedy justice, stricter punishment and increased security for women and since then there has been a discerning emboldening among women in overcoming their mental and societal blocks to report cases of rape, harassment, molestation, stalking and sexual voyeurism inflicted upon them.
Recently, the police arrested a famous Punjabi singer, Nachhattar Gill, for allegedly raping a woman on the pretext of marriage and the Godman Asaram Bapu and his son are cooling their heels in police custody for alleged rapes.
In yet another infamous case, a former Supreme Court Judge and West Bengal State Human Rights Commission Head also stands implicated by a law intern for alleged harassment.
Going by latest figures, the country is witnessing a surge in incidences of sexual violence as rape cases have doubled between 1998 and 2008 and in 2011 alone 24,206 rape cases were reported as per the National Crime Records Bureau.
Among Indian cities, New Delhi has earned the notorious distinction of reporting the highest number of rape-reports according to a 2012 statistics.
While it goes without saying that a larger number of cases of sexual assault may go unreported, estimates hold that every 22 minutes one rape occurs in the country and ‘that up to a hundred thousand children go missing every year with majority of them being trafficked and sexually abused.’
Understandably, this has prompted the Time magazine to call rape a most common crime against women in India and nothing short of an epidemic.
Despite recent improvements in mindsets of members of India’s largely patriarchal society, the social stigma suffered by the rape victim is found to be a primary stumbling block in the way of reporting these crimes that could have translated into delivery of justice.
Common reactions along lines of “she asked for it” or “she has loose morale” pervade discussions in the topic and no thought is spared as to how a five year old child raped by an adult could have “asked for it.”
(Above): Angry protestors protesting the government’s inaction in dealing with rape cases in Delhi. [Getty Images]
The pattern of behavior of hangers-on, friends, and sometimes even families of elite and powerful club condone their despicable behavior in a routine fashion and any voice of dissent is muffled with “don’t you know who he is?” or “don’t talk too much or else you may have to face the consequences!”
Such social layers lack any iota of remorse and they find more safety in not getting caught in doing the act rather than shunning heinous behavior altogether.
In this context, it was for all to see how Tejpal went on to accuse his victim of “continuing to party and being completely normal” even after the “untoward incident,” which can be read as attempts to tarnish the character, conduct, history of relationships and reputation of the victim and hinting at consensus in the alleged acts.
In a country of 1.2 billion people and a socio-economic set up that is inviting increasing women participation in its workforce more of the fairer sex are aspiring and striving to chart out equal terms with their male counterparts, and gaining rights to inheritance, property and opportunities in almost every walk of life.
In this transforming milieu, notions of ownership of body and one’s own life are being redefined.
Perhaps this was what Nirbhaya, the gang rape victim of 2012 December, bequeathed us with, to take forward the long fight for right to life, dignity and equality of women to its happy conclusion.
!-- Start Alexa Certify Javascript -->
Priyanka Bhardwaj is a reporter with Siliconeer. She is based in New Delhi.
