NUJS Kolkata will hold an inquiry on Thursday (18 July) into a sexual harassment complaint made by a member of staff in the vice chancellor’s office against another staffer, who is understood to be on leave but has not resigned.
The victim alleged in June that she was receiving lewd emails and objectionable proposals from a senior staffer in the registrar’s department for over a year.
After she filed a written complaint to the VC, an “internal counseling committee” was constituted by the EC which has fixed Thursday as its first date of hearing, confirmed NUJS registrar Dr Surojit Mukhhopadhyay.
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It's a basic courtesy and part of media ethics (If you care about the legal system, part of our law) not to disclose the name of the victim in a sexual harassment case. Please apologise. Legally India, please remove the comment which contains the name of the victim.
(Do you have the courage to disclose the name of the "guy" close to the VC???)
Such complaints have a default pattern. First attempt will be to malign the complainant, the easy target. The resilient ones will have to undergo more torments. Lobbying and manipulation follows next. Committee members are the targets at this stage and the promises and threats used to sway the decision. It could be argued that this happens in all complaints and process. True, it is, but then sexual harassment complaint process gives ample space to play around the ingrained socio cultural biases . It takes a lot of integrity and strength to fight these dispositions. However progressive one may, it is always ..."two hands are needed for a clap, right?" attitude is not easy to brush aside. It is not suggested that there will never be persons beyond such cultural biases, but its difficult to find the person/s.
Some observations on the life of the present process at NUJS which stands witness to the earlier position taken
1. The delay in constituting committee and the unexplainable delay in convening the first meeting - clearly gives ample time for clouts to lobby and manipulate the situation
2. Resignation of one of the committee member even before the first meeting - an indication of pressurizing
3. One member of faculty actively maligning the complainant and people who offer moral support to the complainant. It is interesting to note that it is the same faculty who understandably is authorized to receive communication on behalf of the accused. The accused has gone incommunicado for all purposes to complete the process in the complaint
4. Visible lobbying done. The VC and some of the Committee Members actively trying to dissuade the complainant and broker compromise
5. And the same committee is now going to deliberate on the complaint and find fact!
As it was suggested earlier, the complaint process has shifted its focus from the violation of right to a means to regain power balance. The accused is seen to be the best around who enjoys the trust of the VC to ward off the Registrar. In this power play, justice is the casualty. More disheartening it is when this is happening in an institution of legal education which is expected to develop sensitivity among its members and society. It dampens the spirit all the more, when members of faculty who has to impart education is openly falling prey to power games.
People are laughing at the state of affiars in this college .. Immediately cleaning of stables required to salvage reputation
Where is the General Body ? Come to your senses and see the rot around you . Act as it is in your best interest
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