Media amnesia and sexual harassment

The former president of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), K P S Gill has demanded a probe into the "sex scandal" that recently erupted in women’s hockey. Chief Coach M K Kaushik quit after a written complaint from one of the players contained allegations of sexual harassment.

It has been rather ironic, watching KPS Gill ranting against sexual harassment and sermonising about the "rot" within the system. He was seen on ANI TV demanding an inquiry in two parts ??" one to investigate the specific complaint against Kaushik, and the other to "see if these things have been happening over the years" and whether "high ups" in the government have been involved.

‘Supercop’ KPS Gill, credited with crushing militancy in Punjab in the late 1980s, made news in 1988 when IAS officer Rupan Deol Bajaj charged him with sexual harassment. The media and the public opinion was overwhelmingly in favour of the hero of Punjab who had quelled ‘terrorism’, almost implying that pinching a woman’s bottom was no big deal. It was only 12 years later, after doggedly pursuing the case, along with her feisty lawyer Indira Jaisingh, that Gill was sentenced by a trial court in 1996, his conviction upheld by the Supreme Court in 2005, following appeals and counter-appeals. KPS Gill escaped serving time, but ended up having to fork out Rs 2 lakhs as compensation to Ms Bajaj, and also  Rs. 50,000 as costs.

When earlier this year, Haryana SPS Rathore was stripped of his medals following his conviction in the ‘Ruchika molestation case’, Ms Bajaj revived her demand that KPS Gill’s medals, including the Padmashri (which he was awarded in 1989), be taken back, on grounds of moral turpitude. Indeed, a question that few in the media asked was that if prompt and stern action had been taken against KPS Gill back in 1988 when the case was filed, Rathore might not have had the audacity to make advances to Ruchika and proceed to destroy her and her family after they complained. It is the immunity extended to those in high office, especially police officers, that allows such crimes to be repeated with temerity. So, for KPS Gill who dodged conviction for sexual harassment for about 18 years, to be talking about tracking down perpetrators among the "high ups" is a bit rich.

There is no doubt that sexual harassment is rampant and that it goes as high up the food chain as is possible. As the charges of sexual harassment against Kaushik surfaced, more and more women from the team ??" past and present - confirmed that the coach’s obnoxious behaviour had forced some of them to quit hockey. On national television, former team members alleged that other players too had quit the team, unable to deal with Kaushik’s sexist language and objectionable behaviour.

 And the phenomenon is not confined to hockey alone. Weightlifter and Olympic medallist Karnam Malleshwari alleged that women athletes were subjected to harassment not just from coaches, but also from federation officials and others in authority. Wrestler Sonika Kalliraman, who said that corrupt officials are the main source of the problem, was quoted as saying, "The Federation president told me that I will never pick you. They wanted Rs 50,000 from me. I am not scared of anybody, which is why I will never give in to anybody." Former athlete Ashwini Nachappa also added to the chorus of voices confirming the existence of sexual harassment in the world of sport.

Demanding sexual favours, hinging participation in the team on succumbing to sexual advances of officials is sexual harassment, plain and simple. Perceptive analyses, attempting to understand the systemic causes for the use and abuse of power as manifested in sexual harassment has been woefully lacking.

It is not surprising, given prudery and prevalent double standards, that the first to be sacked was the videographer Basvaraj, after intimate photographs of him with women reported to be sex workers (photographs that were titillatingly flashed ad nauseum on Times Now and other channels) were anonymously emailed to Hockey India. An Inquiry Committee lost no time in sacking Basvaraj. But what exactly was his crime? Impropriety?

But Zafar Iqbal, former hockey captain and one of the members of the Inquiry Committee looking into both the incidents, publicly dismissed allegations against Kaushik, saying that the complaint was flimsy and had no basis ??" rather premature, when the inquiry was ongoing. When will the media learn to distinguish between "sex scandals" involving contracts with sex workers, escorts or entertainers, and sexual harassment and molestation where the issue of consent is crucial?