The recent incident of arresting a senior news editor with a famous news channel in Kerala has once again boosted discussions about exploitative workplaces. While some applaud the courage of the woman who took the bold step of speaking out, some have started investigating the woman’s moral background. A majority of the public and a great number of media personnel have taken a neutral stand on the issue. Amal Vishnudas, a senior journalist at Mathrubhumi news channel, was arrested on charges of sexually exploiting his colleague. In her complaint to the police, the woman has accused him of sexually harassing her, reportedly after making a false promise of marrying her.
Even though the case has triggered multiple views, many have agreed on the fact that in the recent days, quite an impressive number of women have broken the nutshells and have registered cases against their oppressors. And the fact remains that a good number of culprits are well known among the Kerala folk. A senior journalist based in Thiruvananthapuram noted:
“It is not an odd incident. It is just one among the many incidents of exploitation that happen each and every day. It is not solely the case with media job. It happens at every workplace. The famous Vishaka
guidelines, promulgated by the Supreme Court in 1997, directs companies to form internal complaints
committee and a local complaint committee which includes members from outside the firm to deal with
sexual harassment complaints raised by the employees. But sadly and truly, not even a single firm in
Kerala has set up these committees.”