Monday 25 August 2008

CAUTION, 'MEN AT WORK': STORIES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT, FROM DEMPO COLLEGE TO HERALD PUBLICATIONS


Hey guys, we've received a well articulated piece on the Herald sexual harassment issue from Mr Augusto Pinto, who has seen a similar case involving Dempo college principal Dr Vaman Naik from close quarters. We are running his piece in two parts. This is the first one. Those who wish to comment on this piece will have have to either lend their names to their piece, or better still send us a response from their genuine email IDs, since the writer has stuck his neck out to state his point. Anonymous comments against the writer will not be approved.

Dears
History repeats itself. I wonder if Manjunath is getting lessons from V. R. Naik. To understand what I say, you will have to listen to a story which I have told before, but as it does not seem to register with people, I am ready to repeat it again and again and again
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
THE DEMPO COLLEGE SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASE
At the very start of the Dempo College case, V.R.Naik was asked to refrain from his acts of sexually harassing a young married college lecturer, not just by her but by many of her colleagues who could not bear to see what was going on.
He would not listen. And on the contrary, in an arrogant display of power, he went and terminated her services, and those of two other colleagues who supported her.
After finally gathering courage she agreed to face public scrutiny, [Remember - going public is the worst punishment for the victim in such cases. Society has the nasty habit of casting aspersions on the victim -"She must have done something to encourage him" - they say],
An Action Committee of prominent citizens came to her support, led by among others Adv. Avinash Bhosale, and Adv. Meera Merdhekar. They went to the press giving all the details of his foul deeds.
The Goa State Commission for Women held an enquiry, and indicted Vaman Naik, saying he was not fit to hold the post of a Principal. Although V.R. Naik responded to the Commission once, he then began to avoid them. Not a single staff member from the college said a word in his favour. The G.S.C.W. submitted a report which severely indicted V.R.Naik, saying he was not fit to hold the post of a Principal of a College. The problem is that the G.S.C.W. although it is a Statutory Body having much moral clout, is one which has only recommendatory authority.
The real authority which can prescribe punishment on a sexual harassment offender, the Supreme Court of India has ruled, is the Vishaka Committee. After a considerable amount of pressure was mounted on the management of the College, the Governing Body of Dempo Charities' Trust, to abide by the law of the land, a Vishaka Committee was finally appointed by the Acting Principal of the college, Dr. Deshpande of Dhempe College of Arts and Science, Miramar.
This Vishaka Committee again, and in no uncertain terms indicted V. R. Naik. V.R.Naik's fate should have been sealed at this point.
But no, the Governing Body of Dempo Charities' Trust which includes such worthies as the former Goa S.S.C.E. Board Chairman P.R. Nadkani, had in the meanwhile appointed a one - man inquiry officer, who in the face of all the evidence provided, without even examining the Accused, let him off without him even testifying and being cross-examined, in a Report, which quoted statements of witnesses who did not even appear before him!! The views of the Presenting Officer, which damned
V.R.Naik were not even given a mention.
Why did this happen? My guess is that the Management of D.C.T. - read Srinivas Dempo - one of, if not the richest man in Goa, will not tolerate anyone telling him who should be his managers - no matter if they are sexual harassers, no matter if they are rapists.So he allowed this farce.
The staff of the college went to the Directorate of Higher Education to question the legalities and proprieties of this in-house enquiry farce. When the D.H.E. questioned the Dempo Charities Trust about the matter, the D.C.T. panicked and threw the ball in the D.H.E.'s court asking their advice as to what was to be done. The D.H.E. after a great deal of persuation to give their opinion, put up a note saying the Vishaka Committee was final. But to delay matters further, they sent the note to the Law Dept. of the Govt. of Goa for approval. It is pending there now, for how many months...
In thee meanwhile V.R.Naik gets 50000 rupees a month as salary from the public exchequer. And to add insult to unjury, he has started a defamation case against the lecturers who stood as witnesses for the woman who was sexually harassed.
This is a long story. What has it got to do with the Herald and the Manjunath sexual harassment case?
(Part 2 later)

8 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Vaman Naik, Sucks..
Will rot in hell!!

25 August 2008 at 22:27  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Its really shocking and painful in this civilised soceity to see that Vaman Naik still enjoys salary by sitting at home and no action is being taken against him though he is found guilty in two enquiries. Its shameful on the part of management too.

26 August 2008 at 21:19  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

irresponsible m.d arrived at last for what?to render vote of thanks to manjunath for his wonderful act?MICHAEL for covering up?on what grounds has manjunath sued the victim for one crore?somebody tell the crooks of 'herald'that PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON WAS NOT UNABLE TO SAVE HIS SKIN FROM MONICA LEWINSKY ON SIMILAR GROUNDS. my dear victim do'nt panic we are all with you.now,then and for ever.manjunath culprit cannot escape.

26 August 2008 at 23:13  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Reality Check for Anon on 26th Aug 23:13: We are not in the USA. Manju is the US President. Goa is rated as one of the most corrupt states in India where money talks. India is rated worldwide as a very corrupt nation(50th as per Forbes Listings). Look around you! The world is not what you think it is. Infact how many of you when asked to depose before the commission will actually do that? How many of you will not want to get involved as it may affect your livelihood? How many of you actually dare calling and attending a morcha? How many of you even dare to gather together and gherao manju, michael, nissar or raul? I have the answer........ None. You can just use this blog to fight against this evil. In reality you bunch have no guts. Today this victin languishes in the agony of Manju's creation, tomorrow someone else maybe even you. Think about it. If this is the support you all show, unlike what you said earlier, the culprit WILL escape.

Penpricks please publish this comment.

27 August 2008 at 07:40  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

yes i perfectly agree with you ann 7;40.but mind you i won't just languish in big talk.but i am willing to participate in the mocha with my peuple which will be conducted my south goan union.you think i care for the herald hooligans.i don't need to earn a living by them .disgusting cannibals. according to me manju, michael, nissar or raul are no men.
case will stand its ground as long as the victim has sufficienf determination and evidences.corruption m.d heads the list

27 August 2008 at 19:47  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

good. I just wanted to make you aware that you will be getting no justice out of any commission, government or management. The only justice you can get is the justice you can snatch via morchas and public awareness. im amazed at why the CM's office has not been involved or even the local MLA who also happens to be the leader of the opposition! Its 3 weeks now... time for any commission to act is over. Dont let Manju call the shots in this case, take over grab control, the entire journalist community is with you.... but only if you people at herald have the guts to wake up and protest.

28 August 2008 at 07:05  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i want to request our CM to please wake up and take up these two issues seriously. let your government be not only for aam aadami but as a women i feel even aam aurat needs to get the justice. vaman naik and manjunath will ruin the education and media, if they are allowed to hold power anymore. Dr. pramod salgaocar, its high time you raise your voice and the only women MLA Ms. victoria, stand up for women they need you to raise these question in assembly

28 August 2008 at 14:55  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

the next hearing is posted some time next week i'am not sure though.lets wait and watch the tamasha.in the mean time we'll get ready and organise ourselves.south goan union just organise a mocha and let us know a day or two in advance [word of mouth we''do].lets do whatever possble..mean while mr chief minister are you listening?are you returning back favours to the'herald'.mr salgaocar please ,i beg of you do something,please check what ever happened at b.b since its inception. please for once do something in your capacity.

28 August 2008 at 22:40  

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