The MeToo campaign started in 2006 by Tarana Burke, an American social activist and community organizer was later popularized by American actress Alyssa Milano, on Twitter in 2017. Hollywood actors Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd also took to twitter by storm when they leveled accusations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein. In October 2017 the MeToo movement started with a hashtag on social media to demonstrate the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace. Weinstein a powerful man with political clout is the co-founder of two film producing companies Miramax (1979) and The Weinstein Company (2005). Amongst those who leveled charges of sexual misconduct against Weinstein are big league actors Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cara Delevingne, Kate Beckinsale etc.
Following these glaring exposes, Weinstein’s wife, Georgina Chapman, a British fashion designer, publicly announced that she was leaving him. She apologised to all the women who have suffered at Weinstein’s hand and says she is committed to caring for her young children single-handedly.
Cut to the chase, in India, some very big names in films and media have been called out. Social media has given agency to women who have long suffered at the hands of lecherous male bosses and colleagues. Indian newsrooms are known to be exploitative male domains and women journalists bear the brunt of their brusque behaviour. MeToo has empowered them to call out against even bosses who take liberties with them. Prashant Jha, Bureau Chief of The Hindustan Times who was accused by a lawyer for sending out inappropriate messages to her despite her protests has stepped down from his post pending investigation. What is shocking is the reaction of MJ Akbar former editor and currently a junior minister in the NDA Government, to the spate of allegations against him by his former female colleagues. Akbar has rubbished all claims and even filed a criminal defamation case against one of his accusers for, “willfully, deliberately, intentionally and maliciously” defaming him on “wholly and completely false, frivolous, unjustifiable and scandalous grounds”. Akbar’s wife and family are of course silent on this issue. This is what differentiates us in India from the West because a wife is expected to know the character of her husband better than anyone else. Akbar has also used the oldest ploy of blaming his accusers of targeting his Party the BJP for the 2019 elections. When predators play victims it is only the Courts that can deliver justice.