TARUN TEJPAL & TEHELKA AND THE LOADED TRUTH
For the nth time, Tarun Tejpal & Tehelka (TT &T) have proved themselves to be synonymous, both metaphorically and literally. Tehelka in Hindi/Urdu means turbulence. TT had started his mouth piece Tehelka and caused intentional tehelka to the political beite noire of some political vested interest. Thus, in the name of freedom of press he did everything unprincipled and mean, including employing female baits to corrupt his targets. The chicken, at last came home to roost, and he got entangled in the trap that he laid himself, although unwittingly.
Yes, it started with muck and it looks headed for the muck. Bangaru Laxman was stupid and was simply bought. Money bags of Delhi, funded TT to trap George Fernandese, the NDA defence minister, on the wrong foot. He succeeded in making it to Fernandese’ party president. But somehow didn’t succeed in making it a fool proof case. Fernandese resigned to make way for investigation. Of course Fernandese was a bad boy, for whatever reason, with the Congress and its president. So, could it be that, those who are opposed to George could have organised this entrapment by an upstart called Tarun Tejpal and his website Tehelka? And nobody in the media questioned the motive and the truth behind the operation, while condemning both Bangaru and George.
Of course, sooner or later truth has its own way of coming into open, through the autonomous dynamics of nature, to come calling to tell, that truth after all cannot be killed.
Post Goa sex scandal, involving TT, the skeletons of favouratism, financial participation, political patronage and connections in corridors of power are falling off the Tehelka cupboard. Media informs about the induction of TT as non-executive director of Prasar Bharathi, by the blue eyed boy of Congress President, the bombastic Manish Tiwari and of course the contract with Door Darshan for a 52 episode series on ‘100 Years of Indian Cinema’, to a firm owned by TT, with an advance payment of Rs: 2 crores. It is another matter, that no sooner the Goa episode became a public knowledge, Vice President Hamid Ansari, who chaired TTs election to the Prasar Bharathi Board, reportedly cancelled his appointment.
Thus there is, enough and more, muck coming the public way to inform and educate that those who do not respect the fair and just ways will eventually pay for it, with compound interest. So beware of overconfidence of short term success.
Among the oft repeated quotes about the ‘greatness’ of Tehelka, is the one by cine actor Amir Khan, “Throughout its existence, Tehelka has kept its promise of doing brave and hard journalism. It is one of the few entities refusing to compromise on its core value systems”. It also claimed that “In a short span of 9 years Tehelka has won more than 40 awards for its path breaking journalism”.
Indeed Tehelka has been ‘brave and hard’. What else can you describe a situation, where the Editor-In-Chief has dared to ‘penetrate’ his daughter like young female colleague despite resistance, in a public space – an elevator – and has been rather hard by describing his dirty and despicable act as a ‘drunken banter’. “Come on TT, you have gone bonkers and trying to run away in crutches with no legs”. And the core value which Amir Khan is talking about, where is it? As for awards, it simply cannot be the last word, except as a marketing gimmick.
Yes, it has indeed been a ‘great fall’, after years of so-called ‘hard hitting and investigative reporting’. At this defining moment, in the life of Tehelka, it is only right for us to go to the evolution of this ‘infant terrible’ member of the fourth estate.
Tehelka, hit the bulls eye only around March 2001. That too through ‘entrapment journalism’, trapping unsuspecting Bangaru Laxman, the then president of BJP, which was the main political party in the then ruling NDA combine. However the target appeared to be, the then Defence Minister, George Fernandese, whose Samata Party President Jaya Jeitley, too was clumsily got involved by the Tehelka men, also by way of entrapment technique of enticement. Globally, it is reliably understood, that any victim of entrapment goes legally free under the rubric ‘situational defence’. However, our media forced both Bangaru Laxman and George Fernandese to resign, although Fernandese came back to the cabinet, duly cleared of any wrong doing. But the damage, although not huge, was done, and the non-entity called TT& T came into existence with the help of all those who did not conceal their glee at the avoidable foolishness, the presidents of both, BJP and Samata party, had rushed into. Reportedly, both Tehelka and Tarun Tejpal, who fathered it, then had no money. According to a well known senior journalist, “A company that reportedly did not have enough cash to pay its minimal staff regularly could have Rs: 27 lakh spent on its ‘sting operation’, understandably raises doubts about Mr Tejpal’s credibility”. This observation completely exposes the machinations of this ‘brave and hard’ journalist. Thus it confirms the stark ethical bankruptcy of the man and his institution, besides all those who supported him and funded his sting operation. Thus it was an illegitimate child of ‘behind-the-scene’ operators.
Hence, it is very clear that Tehelka was created to fish in the political muck of the day. It was a website then, but the larger pan Indian image it acquired was only through print and electronic media. Thus, the graduation was to get into the print media, probably since, electronic media creation needed larger funding.
With the media space it created, Tehelka reached out to corporate world, with political help, probably, the Congress Party. It managed huge financial participation and as the cliché goes, rest is history. In confirmation, only the other day, post Goa TT sexapade, Kapil Sibal, has ‘gone public’, saying ‘I have no shares in Tehelka’, while arguing that ‘the issue (sexual abuse), in any case was not germane to the controversy surrounding the magazine’s editor Tarun Tejpal’. Obviously concealing the financial involvement. But the rejoinder included “Even if I did own shares in a company, can I have anything to do with a crime committed by an individual running the firm? I helped Tehelka with a donation, because at the time they had lost everything due to vindictive BJP government”. He expressed his ‘surprise’, by posing “Instead of being lauded for supporting freedom of press, I am being quizzed”.
Thus, clearly it is an open admission of financial participation. First, he says ‘no shares’, then he says ‘what if I have shares I am not responsible for Tejpal’s boorish act’. Then he confesses the ‘financing being donation’, mixing his loaded action with ‘supporting freedom of press’. Kapil Sibal is a bright & intelligent lawyer, but also a politician. This is a deadly combination which generally works more for the man, in this case Kapil Sibal, and less for larger society. Nobody accused Kapil Sibal of being responsible for the bad behaviour of this ‘exalted’ journo Tejpal. What media said was ‘there is financial stakes by likes of Sibal’, through whom many corporate houses were coaxed to ‘donate generously’. Thus was born Tehelka. A grateful TT & T have been after BJP and its state governments ever since. So, if BJP accuses that Congress was the party that helped Tehelka in its labour pains, delivery and then looked after its infancy, can they be faulted? That, it has shown its colour in less than 10 years, it has proved it is an ‘infant terrible’. Isn’t this the worst form of ‘Paid News’?
Now coming to the scene of the crime, from the corridors of power in Delhi.
‘Editor or Pervert?’ asked a national English daily from Mumbai, more sedate ones reported ‘Police probe rape charge against Tehelka editor’. They were generally commenting on the alleged sexual assault that took place inside an elevator, at an upmarket hotel complex in Goa. The incident involved Tarun Tejpal, the editor-in-chief, the defacto owner, and his young female colleague. It was reported that the young female is a friend of this TT’s daughter and is of her age. Obviously, Tejpal is very young in spirit, reminding what Jeevan, a Hindi film veteran of yore had said long ago, “Bandar kithna bhi bhooda ho, Gulati maarna nahee bhooltha”, meaning “Monkey, however old, never forgets to roll upside down”. This might sound outrageous. But then we are in an India, where father using his daughter for his animal instincts and carnal desires, does not make a big news. We are all privy to the news of these kinds, appearing in the media, at regular intervals. Because they are involving marginalized or unknown social stock, it does not become a media event, as this particular incident has ignited.
Obviously this TT was overconfident that nothing serious would happen to him, or his reputation or his media venture. After all, he was ‘exposing’ other’s wrongs and apparently can do wrong’. But, bad luck for him, it blew out in open, as if on his face, and at the moment he is a guest of police in Goa, undergoing interrogation and possible criminal proceedings for his wanton act.
But, why was he so confident that he tried to dismiss it as a “drunken banter”, “a bad lapse in judgement”, “an appalling misreading of the situation”? And there were so-called senior journalists, including Rahul Singh, son of Kushwant Singh and even some female journos too, taking up cudgels on behalf of this fallen ‘hero’ of investigative journalism. It does point to the decaying standards of females being reduced to only a merchandise, and we see it, day in and day out, in advertisements appearing across the media spectrum. It is reliably learnt that some media houses even collate personal details of the persona of female candidates being interviewed for jobs, even as private an information as size of bra they wear. Now this is atrocious, if true. But surely, it clearly indicates where the wind is blowing. Only exception in the TT angle is, the speed with which he took on his victim without any speed breaker. After hitting the speed breaker at 100+ speed, the car flew off, only to land on the hard ground with a thud that probably could destroy the car (Tehelka) and of course the driver (TT). With the resignation of Shoma Chaudhary, the managing editor of Tehelka, the future of the weekly is extremely uncertain. Here it is pertinent to reproduce what The Hindu wrote in its editorial of 25th Nov. Quote “Then there is the fate of Tehelka as multi-media organisation, a spirited and irreverent venture with an investigative and muckraking focus”. Unquote.
From the information available in the print media, it was very clear, that Tejpal was forcing himself, not once but twice, on an unsuspecting, vulnerable colleague under the mistaken notion that she will succumb to his advances to keep her, probably, well paid job. According to the victim’s email to the lady managing editor Shoma Chaudhary, the editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal had uttered “Well this is the easiest way for you to keep your job”. Thus, if proved, the culpability of this man is beyond any doubt.
And come to think of it, a female herself, this Shoma Chaudhary appears to give an unmistakable impression that she is a party to the cover up attempt. Initially, she didn’t take the whole episode seriously, which does mean, she thinks such things are passé. In her press briefing she had insisted it being an ‘internal matter’. “I am addressing aggrieved journalist’s (victims) concerns. An apology has been given and the editor (TT) has resigned (meaning six month sabbatical). Are these not actions? What more do you want?” Ms. Chaudhary has been reported to have told the media. Obviously, this Shoma Chaudhary, the managing editor of Tehelka, a female herself, has taken the whole incident, with a fistful of salt, as one of those professional hazards, and not as a criminal act, under sexual harassment act. She tried to conceal the gravity of Tejpal’s crime and white-wash it by accepting the self imposed atonement by the alleged criminal himself. That brings us to the inevitable question, why is Shoma taking this issue so lightly as a procedural internal matter and not a crime? Could it be that ‘She too was a victim of circumstances, but compromised to live another day with TT and his Tehelka?’ According to media sources, at Tehelka, there have been cases of similar nature in the past.
Besides, the reported pressure on the family of the victim by the perpetrator’s daughter Tiya has made the issue murkier. In a statement to the media, victim had alleged that her mother was asked, who was the lawyer helping her in the matter of her complaint against Tejpal, so also what she “wanted” as a result of her complaint. This is intimidation and therefore outright condemnable.
Of course, Shoma Chaudhary’s whole ‘management’ of the incident snowballed into a huge controversy accusing her of attempted cover-up and was forced to resign. So also those who were made part of a committee to look into complaints of ‘sexual harassment’ just didn’t take the call, realizing the ‘open and shut’ nature of the incident. From the contents of the complaint of the victim, to the management of Tehelka, it was clearly an ‘open and shut’ case. Law, perforce, had to take its course to see the perpetrator well and truly behind bars. Here it is interesting to note that this TT has accused the BJP for implicating him in the alleged rape case. While claiming himself to be secular, thereby implying BJP as communal, he has written that, “The bias of BJP to the applicant is well known, since the expose of corruption in defence deals in 2001” and therefore has requested the transfer of the case from Goa, a BJP ruled state to Delhi. This was like Mohd. Azaruddin complaining that ‘he is being targeted because he is Muslim’ when caught for match fixing.
But, in perspective, it is clear that the image of media houses has taken a severe beating. There is apparently sexploitation. We all know, that, in work place there is certain degree of exploitation of one and all, more so of forced exploitation of females. Some succumb to force, and some don’t. There is also consensual relationship in many work places, which is an open secret. But exploitation should be an absolute ‘NO’. But the fact, largely remains, that most people succumb to the, attractive terms of engagement, and begin to enjoy the atmosphere in the name of freedom. What happened to Tehelka female journalist may only be a tip of the iceberg. Surely incident of this nature must be happening in most places, whether it is media houses, advertising agencies, travel agencies, airlines offices, outfits involved in film making, and swanky, well looked after corporate houses, etc. It is true that there are interlocutors in the media who do partially blame females for the state of affairs involving such exploitation. They feel, ‘unless women shrug off their affiliations and begin to think as only women, crimes like sexual harassment will continue to take place’. Tarun Tejpal’s victim has reportedly stated in her complaint “Unlike Mr Tejpal, who is fighting to protect his wealth, his influence and his privilege, I am fighting, to assert that my body is my own and not the play thing of my employer”. Its just that, this young lady, whatever her name is, has decided to hit back. Period. Would things look up from now on !?
J.SHRIYAN
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