Me Too
By: Ashutosh Thakur
Tags: Metoo Movement, Me Too India, Womens Rights, Metoo, Me Too Movement

MeToo

Not a trend that needs an introduction, but in case you somehow missed out, this hashtag is the one you might wanna follow!

It is no shocker that women across the world have suffered against male oppression, but the severity of the offense will have you crumble in your skin. Domestic violence, sexual molestation, rapes — they all came out when some brave women decided to finally give it back to the oppressors. Social media enabled the revolution, and the once-lame news feeds transformed into something serious!

It all started on 5th October 2017 when stories of survivors rained after allegations were made against Harvey Weinstein. Dozens of women have spoken against him. They have accused him of crimes ranging from rape to sexual harassment. Its foundation was long put in 2006 by Tarana Burke who started “MeToo” phrase to raise awareness about sexual abuse and assault in society.

The phrase soon caught on and #MeToo brought a ray of hope. The hope of getting justice the silent victims had assumed they would never find. Owing to the successful mass agitation, many sexual predators have resigned or have been fired or faced different consequences after allegations. Society has been set on a path. People are becoming aware of how to fight sexual assaults and abuse. Stories from survivors have flooded social media.

Although the campaign intends to fight for the victims and survivors, it has failed to bring justice. Allegations against well-known personalities like Brett Kavanaugh, nominee for the Supreme court of the USA, has been one such recent case. Although he has denied such actions, he has neither been proven innocent or guilty so far. Despite the lack of concrete verdict, he has been confirmed a seat on the Supreme court bench.

Famous Bollywood personalities that shape the Hindi Cinema like Nana Patekar have been recently alleged by Tanushree Dutta of sexual harassment. Utsav Chakraborty, a Youtuber and standup comedian was accused of sending inappropriate pics via social messaging apps. Owing to the controversy, AIB biggies Gursimran Khamba and Tanmay Bhatt, have had to step down from their positions. Alok Nath, an actor who is still remembered for his iconic role of an ideal father, has been alleged of such crimes. His wife has requested a probe on the allegations and has decided to take the matter the legal road. The same social media that was flocked with “sanskari babuji” memes is now in shock, as to how unexpected these revelations have been!

These are just a few names off our heads, but the list is increasing as we speak. However, much like any other campaign, it makes you wonder — is there a flip side to this heinous coin?

Beyond the truth and facts of the case, there are cases like that of #MeToo activist Asia Argento. She had actively voiced her opinion against the molesters, and turns out she reportedly paid off a young actor who accused her of sexual assault! Hypocrisy much!? Turns out she isn’t the only one playing the game. Much like any other trending campaign, a lot many “victims” have turned out to be fake. There have been false accusations purely to garner some fame or for any personal vendetta. It might be something as petty as envy or some other personal reason, yet once an allegation is out…the alleged pay a price. Most of the victims that have come out are reporting events that happened years ago. They lack proofs and concrete evidences. It is understandable that the kind of torture a victim goes through can make the revelation difficult. However, this also gives a benefit of doubt to the “pretense victims”.

Like in the false case filed by Jasleen Kaur of Delhi, the alleged molester Sarvjeet Singh was ridiculed on social media. The case turned out to be another fake one, yet Sarvjeet hasn’t been able to get a job for the last two years. On the flip side, Jasleen Kaur was hailed as an inspiration for feminists despite being proven a liar.

For long as the victim doesn’t present enough supporting facts, how does once come to a decision? There might be financial or political motives attached to these revelations, but who is to say when the statements are a blast from the past and lack pieces of evidence!

Another glitch is that this campaign has been partial towards men. Men too can face sexual abuse, and there hasn’t been a public uproar over the male victims who came out!

Much like any other campaign, there has been some good and some bad…but a lot of over-sensationalizing, and the line between fact and fake has blurred. So before we throw the stones on someone or sympathize with a victim the next time, pause. Think.

What are we basing our judgments upon? We must ensure a society safe for women, but also for men! We must ensure justice to the victims, but should also be fair to hear the side of the alleged. As for now, the debate is heated. Do you too not know whom to listen to? Oh well, #MeToo.