WEEK 2 -- SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT THE HERALD: ACCUSED GM MANJUNATH CONTINUES TO GRIN

Goan local newspapers went to town about the sexual harassment case at Goa Architecture College recently. But just how serious are our local newspapers in particular about sexual harassment in their own workspace.
Barring the Gomantak Times and the Goan Observer, no newspaper has as yet, reported the sexual harassment case registered at the state unit of the National Commission for Women, involving N Manjunath, the general manager of the Herald, one of Goa’s leading English dailies.
The Navhind Times is perhaps returning the favour to the Herald (from one institution to another) for the latter’s tepid (and most times almost non existent) coverage of TNT Editor Arun Sinha’s molestation case. (But one point we’d like to make here. The TNT did report a criminal complaint filed against Herald managing director Raul Fernandes’ brother Oswald vis a vis some property offence, sometime back).The Times of India… wonder what happened to it. Too many skirts on the Goa Times Page 3 may have impeded their grand editorial vision. Those of you guys, who expect ‘fair’ coverage from TOI, would do well to wait for the tourism season to hit before they make their call. For that would be the season of dubious convergence between editorial and advertising interest. Lets see how the paper fares then.
To be honest, we really haven’t focused much on the vernacular papers, so if any one these guys did report it, we would appreciate if the readers would let us know.
For your information, Manjunath did not attend the first two hearings at the NCW when he was summoned. In the first hearing, he was represented by Michael (remember Raul’s PA? Turns out, he is also Manager Operations. Hmmm fancy title) who informed the Commission that Manjunath was unavailable.
Oh really… Manjunath has been in and around Panjim all this while. His being unavailable is rather strange, unless he’s busy seeking certain passengers for a lift all the way down to Verna, in sporadic fits of unbridled philanthropy.
His second hearing was scheduled yesterday on Wednesday, which too he did not attend. In a letter, which he has submitted to the NCW instead, Manjunath claims that he was planning to file a complaint against the victim for “causing a lot of damage to his reputation and in his personal and public life.”
Guys can you beat this? Are you guys at the Herald and HCN going to take this shit lying down? Shame on you fellows! Stop thinking about yourselves as journalists or accountants and so and so forth. Don’t you guys think you have a basic duty to at least question the newspaper management as to what steps they are taking to see that justice is done?
Like we mentioned in our last post, we aren’t saying lynch Manjunath, but insist on forming a Vishakha committee and start an impartial enquiry for godsake.
We would really like to know what Herald Editor Ashwin Tombat would have to say about this? And Nisser Dias… What’s Nisser doing about this? The girl was a part of Nisser’s HCN staff… Are these two guys going to take it lying down? We are also concerned about MD Raul Fernandes’ PA Michael. Guys how can Michael absolve himself off any responsibility? Michael used to share a cabin with Manjunath.
In which office have you seen a set up like this, fellas? A general manager sharing a cabin with the managing director’s PA cum ‘operations manager’ and a receptionist behind close doors? Have you heard of anything like this before? We believe that Michael too should be questioned by the Commission for facilitating such an arrangement.
Back to the letter, Manjunath also states in his letter that if the woman had ‘any such grievance, then it should have been reported within the organisation and should not have been divulged in open. It should have been sorted out internally’.
What sort of an argument is this guys? Here you have a junior-most employee -- a production executive, who’s the victim, who claims that the general manager of her organization used to pat her face, brush her hair. So whom does she complain to? The accused is her top boss? Does she give him a written complaint at the time when he’s busy trying to caress her, as she alleges?
Manjunath, stop reading this blog and spend some time coming up with better excuses next time round. If its Michael you are relying on for this fluff, think again. Ask Joel or someone. He’s good at drumming them up. (BTW talking of fluff have you seen this small flickr memoryput together by some ex HCN employee, interesting pics)
Sources at the NCW claim that the next hearing could well have to wait till Ganesh Chaturthi… That’s a long way off…
We’ve seen government’s fall in a matter of days in Goa. This is just a nobody girl seeking action against what she claims is a case of sexual harassment against the general manager of a leading English opinion making daily N Manjunath, who seems to have the management backing him.
At times a week is long enough for hope to crumble.
P.S. BTW guys we've mailed the Herald editor on his ID and the general ID for a response on this issue on the way we ran this story, the first time round. We've received no response yet. We have also asked them if we could send them a questionnaire on this issue. No response on that one too.