Gerard de Souza

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Nov 22, 2013, 12:52:47 AM11/22/13

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The Goa Union of Journalists demands a thorough inquiry into the scandal where editor in chief of Tehelka has allegedly repeatedly molested a junior colleague during their high profile Think Fest event held in Goa earlier this month.

That a person of the stature of Tarun Tejpal, who is reported to have committed such an abhorring crime, could renege on the values he claimed to have stood for, shakes the faith of not just the journalist fraternity but also that of the public who look up to journalists as watchdogs of government and society.

If found guilty, he should not be given any special concessions on account of being a journalist, but should face the full wrath of the law.

The Goa Police should in the course of their inquiry bring out the truth and if found guilty begin to prosecute the accused journalist.

This is absolutely necessary in order to restore the faith of women journalists, who are today a crucial part of the fourth estate, that perpetrators of such acts of violence against women, do not go scot free on account of their positions.

Kishore Naik Gaonkar

President of Goa Union of Journalists

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Gerard de Souza
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Revora, Bardez, Goa 403513

Albertina Almeida

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Nov 22, 2013, 9:50:57 PM11/22/13

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I think this is an appropriate time for GUJ to demand that every media office here should set up a complaints committee to prevent and deal with sexual harassment at the Workplace. Just like Supreme Court Judges cannot be above the law, so too the media cannot be above the law.

And by the way, what is the Editors' Guild's response?

albertina

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Frederick FN Noronha * फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या * فريدريك نورونيا‎

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Nov 25, 2013, 4:38:41 AM11/25/13

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On 23 November 2013 08:20, Albertina Almeida <albertin...@gmail.com> wrote:

Just like Supreme Court Judges cannot be above the law, so too the media cannot be above the law.

Hi Tina,

It's not just about the law, but about fairness too...

In my view, online communities too share some of the characteristics of a "workplace". Even if there is no payment or employment involved here, we do have frequent interactions (which could lead to misunderstandings), asymmetric power equations, etc...

As the founder of GoaJourno, I propose to set up a committee under the Vishaka guidelines for this group. Anyone willing to volunteer to be part of it, kindly get in touch. I do hope that our members like Suhasini Prabhugaonkar, who have been vocal on this issue (and rightly so), will lend a hand here and offer to be part of such a committee. If the others agree, we can request Prakash Kamat, whom I have long known to be very sensitive on gender issues, to play a role and join in. Please note, we need at least half the members of this group to be women.

QUOTE

Sexual harassment includes such unwelcome sexually determined behaviour (whether directly or by implication) as:

a) physical contact and advances;

b) a demand or request for sexual favours;

c) sexually coloured remarks;

d) showing pornography;

e) any other unwelcome physical verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.

UNQUOTE

If you feel we have excluded any areas that need to be considered, kindly mention. If you have another point of view, kindly share it too. FN

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Gary Azavedo

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Nov 26, 2013, 5:43:55 AM11/26/13

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How many media organisations in Goa, especially the electronic media have constituted the committees as per the Vishaka Commission guidelines to protect its women employees?

If none have complied, what has GUJ done about their failure to do so? Or the state government?

How many women employees have quit in disgust as there has been no one willing to take up their case and they fear being victimised if they pursue their case?

Have the women NGOs in Goa looked into this aspect? If not, why?

Can anyone throw some light on this subject or raise this up in the form of a debate on the various fora, including our Goan media, be it print or electronic in Goa?

Let us not wait for a similar incident to happen in Goa before we wake up and raise our protests as is generally the case to most situations that have knee-jerk reactions.

GARY

SOTER

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Nov 26, 2013, 9:41:56 AM11/26/13

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Well said Gary. Everyone seems to be trying to exploit the situation for their own benefit. It damn robs me of my right to wide news coverage with only this rubbish playing out on TV screens 24X7. Is this not intellectual rape or masturbation that is playing out? Women are raped and battered by their alcoholic husbands, but no seems to care about that. Non-drinkers, particularly women and children, are compelled to be in the company of boozers at public places and events, but no one makes a noise about that? Should there not be designated zones in public places and events for the consumption of alcohol, like in the case of tobacco smoking? If the media is so concerned about the dignity of women, let there be a holistic response and not take cover under compartmentalised responses that encourage orgies, drunken banters and the rest under the label of 'FESTAS' .

-Soter

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Frederick FN Noronha * फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या * فريدريك نورونيا‎

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Nov 27, 2013, 4:22:44 PM11/27/13

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We are railing against media organisations, but what about giving the lead and setting up a Vishaka Committee for Goajourno itself?

Even if we legally might not be required to do this (Goajourno isn't a workplace, strictly speaking), we could show our good intentions.

Waiting for some more to volunteer... FN

Gary Azavedo

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Nov 29, 2013, 4:27:32 AM11/29/13

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Soter,

Interestingly, it is the very same Goa Police who were unable to investigate the Vasco minor rape case resulting in them handing over this case to the CBI that are now keenly investigating the Tehelka editor Tejpal incident in an elevator at Grand Hyatt, Bambolim, Goa.

While I, too, sympathise with the victim, my query is regarding the inexplicable zeal displayed by the Goa police personnel under the present administration to arrest this accused (Tejpal) while their previous lethargy on the Vasco case due to alleged political links is not being questioned by the national media who are deeply engrossed in covering this sordid episode!

Parrikar regime is not doing any justice to women by cornering Tejpal but is only seeking to bask in the national media highlights that is given vast prominence to this incident while ignoring many other more grievous assaults on women and young minors. Who is going to give justice to the young Vasco school girl with the incident shortly to complete a year? Home Minister Manohar Parrikar ought to be questioned by vigilante activists like you on this matter as you have always been vociferously protesting against injustice committed on minorities.

GARY AZAVEDO,

journalist,

Margao

SOTER

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Nov 29, 2013, 9:49:23 PM11/29/13

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Gary bab,

Exactly! Silence on the rape of the minor in Vasco. Hype on Tejpal issue while dacoits make hay in Parrikar's Goa. And God knows how many more rapes go unreported in casinos and hotels across the state.

But society also seems to enjoy such cheap or gutter display of politics. After all, this is the mentality cultivated by TV soaps. The question is, after all the productive man-hours invested in hounding Tejpal, ultimately how will it solve the problem of crime against women when the very instruments like alchol, drugs, gambling, prostitution - tested to be destructive to societies down the centuries - are being promoted as Tourism? Hypocrisy of society is in its full glory in Tejpal case.

-soter

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Fwd: GUJ statement in view of Tehelka scandal

Gerard de Souza

Albertina Almeida

“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein

Frederick FN Noronha * फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या * فريدريك نورونيا‎

Gary Azavedo

SOTER

Frederick FN Noronha * फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या * فريدريك نورونيا‎

Gary Azavedo

SOTER