We Should Keep The #MeToo Story Going: Sandhya Menon

Is 바카라�boorish behaviour바카라� also part of #MeToo in terms of just warning people that 바카라�this guy is not cool바카라�?

I haven바카라�t used the MeToo hashtag for any of my tweets bec­ause of this. If there바카라�s one name for everything, it dilutes the situation. I바카라�m focusing on what constitutes harassment, specifically workplace harassment. POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) clearly shows this. There바카라�s a lot of bandying about on Twitter where people are asking, 바카라�is this harassment if he backed off바카라�, and such. Yes it is. If you place a hand on my thigh, you바카라�re harassing me, unless we바카라�re in the hugging, holding hands kind of friendship where we ­understand each other.

Workplace harassment is the larger issue. If women are taking this opportunity to call out people who have treated them badly with regard to consent, safety, health and self-respect, it바카라�s their prerogative to do so. But if you have put yourself out there saying this happened to me, I think you need to find the strength within yourself to see through all the conclusions it could lead to. For instance, if the police got back in touch with you for it, your mind has to kick in and tell you: 바카라�I put myself out there, now it바카라�s up to me to see it through the consequences.바카라� You have a choice here. You can decide, 바카라�I don바카라�t wanna do this바카라�.

The unfolding of this #MeToo wave must also have been immensely educating, for both men and women. These nuances of problematic behaviour have never come up.

So, this comes from personal experience. Six days ago when all of this started, I didn바카라�t know the nua­nces of POSH. I was jittering between what constitutes harassment and what doesn바카라�t. It바카라�s absolutely imp­ortant that women edu­cate themselves about this. Men, of course, please educate yourselves. Women also need to understand the power that comes from this바카라�

And responsibility...

Absolutely yes. It has to be done responsibly.

Many against whom allegations have been made seem to be waiting for the storm to pass. The people who have come out may have to go back to the same workplaces, interact with the same people again.

This is why we should keep the story going. It바카라�s never going to be this 바카라�hot바카라� again. It is incumbent on editors of newspapers, TV channels to put their weight behind women like us who have put faces, names and reputations behind these all­egations. Part of my plan is to keep consistent pressure on news organisations to keep carrying this forward.

Again, there is a lot of victim blaming flying around on Twitter, saying things like, 바카라�Why come out now바카라�.

I바카라�m not even dignifying that question with an answer. If other men want to take up that responsibility, I바카라�m very grateful for that. Anything you say could sound like an excuse. If I give reasons like: it바카라�s not possible for me to run around with this while I바카라�ve just had a baby. I mean it might have been possible, but I chose not to. It바카라�s hard. You say this and people will say these are excuses. So, no. Everyone has their reasons, the biggest one being the fear of safety of your job, fear of being sidelined. I ­reported it and till I went to maternity leave, I was sidelined.

Finally, is there a danger of false allegations taking away from the movement?

There is that danger. People are saying things like, 바카라�Why are you coming out one year before the elections?바카라� It바카라�s ridiculous. This movement is completely organic, its not like 25-200 women sat together and planned this.

Sidharth바카라�s (Bhatia, The Wire) thing came from an anonymous account and I wouldn바카라�t touch it with a bargepole. But there is a risk of it being politicised to a point where...

We lose sight of it....

Which is why I바카라�m constantly urging women working at the forefront of this to be very clear about what they pick up. For instance, no just-created anonymous accounts.