#MeToo: Some names are out, but here are some DIFFICULT questions left unanswered

The can of worms has been opened. And some of the most rotten ones have been spotted and been nitpicked for proper treatment. As known to one and all, the #MeToo movement is gaining momentum in India after being accepted on the world stage. You know those names really well, and to see them come under scrutiny may have been shocking, to saythe least.

In this piece, I try to encapsulate some points, which may or may not have been overlooked while being discussed.

I hate two words the most and they are - vicious cycle. It never means good news and it doesn't here too. India, as a country is amongst the most patriarchal ones, where the society has always looked down upon the opposite gender. To give a perspective on this matter, think how we belong to a country, where some of the most popular chefs are males, but the idea of cooking is limited to females at home. Imagine the conflict of recognition an acknowledgment against duty! 

But, it is patriarchy that gives birth some of the most heinous crimes like sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, and other factors being some of the obvious examples. The male gender continues to think of himself as the superior one and does not cease to exercise the same on multiple occasions. Hey! I am all game for gender equality, but the same does not make any sense when the suffering is maximized towards one gender.

The MeToo movement is applauded by one and all, but just like the many things, it has also given some people the license to gain a few seconds of fame, sympathy and at times, blaming only for your personal vendetta. Yes! It is a problem. There is a certain amount of suspicion to the several claims, but that does not rule out the major chunk of it.

Instead of questioning the true intentions of the accuser and wasting precious time, it would be a lot better to exercise control and investigate the matter with complete clarity. If there is the possibility of false accusation, the fairness can be investigated and restored then. We do not like to accept the problem here and find a way to blame a trend and how some are misusing it.

Some are misusing it, but some are not. And the ones who are not, need help, support and above all, justice.

In the many cases that are made against people like Vikas Bahl, Tanmay Bhat, Gursimran Khamba, Varun Grover among many more; only a couple of them have been rather clear in terms of the accused party appearing guilty. That has been the scenario with Alok Nath and Subhash Kapoor, where the former's statement on the allegations on record has infuriated people even more. In the case of the latter, a video is surfacing on the internet, however, the authenticity of the same is questioned. 

Nevertheless, people need to talk about it. Even, if someone has an altogether different approach to the saga, there still needs to be a conversation about it, as only that can enable some course of action later. The fact that some of the highly regarded celebrities have chosen to keep mum isn't ideal. These people have a following that amasses millions, and at times, we come across instances, where they have made it to the news for literally the stupidest things for no fault of their own. It's time they make it to the news for the right reasons.

Some continue to ask as to how if an incident that happened years ago is going to make any difference or is relevant after all this time? (Did that sentence make you angry? It did the same to me too.)

To them, the answer couldn't be simpler. Speaking up right now after gathering the courage by taking an example from others would not only serve as an important lesson to many. One way or another, time is definitely up and one needs to look at these matters with sensitivity and fairness.

Over the last couple of days, many have been conversing about how males apparently are the 'target' here and it has become difficult for men to live. Being a feminist, I don't entirely agree with this, but want to be logical towards these concerns. Yes! Some may have mis-used this opportunity and some are just doing this for gaining few seconds of fame. But, it isn't entirely about just males being targeted or so at all. The case about Kaneez Surka-Aditi Mittal is an example of that. So, instead of suspecting why is the accuser doing it and what, try having a clear mind without bias to investigate the matter.

The biggest worry here is if this is just a trend that will soon fade away, as has happened in the past. But, the grueling cases that have come out in the past few days and some celebrated names coming into the picture, this seems that is here to stay.

Finally, talking about the television industry, the can isn't quite ripped open here. However, in a cryptic way, actress Shraddha Arya went on to recently go on record and accept that she has been a victim too. In this case, however, the actress did not take names and put an allegation but supported the movement overall. It happens here too, but we wonder if names will be taken.

In the end, I have one request to the authorities and parties concerned to the many cases here. Instead of just being shocked or gaining some brownie points on the same, if X  has accused Y, immediately investigate the matter to present justice to whoever deserves it.