तरूण तेजपाल, तेहेलका आणि पत्रकारीतेतील नैतिकता

पण माझा मुद्दा काँग्रेस-भाजपा सारखे आहेत का नाहीत हा नव्हता आणि तसे ते सत्तेसाठी सारखे वाटले तरी अनेक अर्थाने वेगळे आहेत असेच म्हणेन. तर साम्यवादी, डावे आणि डाव्याकडे जास्त झुकलेले समाजवादी हे नकारात्मक कृत्यांमधेच गुंतलेले दिसतात. त्यांची जिथे जिथे राज्य आली आहेत अथवा अगदी एखादा निवडून गेलेला आहे, तेथे देखील काही चांगले काम बघायला मिळणार नाही. प. बंगाल हे त्याचे मोठ्ठे उदाहरण आहे. तरी देखील स्वतःस विचारवंत/बुद्धीवादी वगैरे म्हणवणार्‍यांना त्यांचे झापड लावल्यागत कसे आकर्षण वाटते याचे सखेद आश्चर्य वाटते. पण तो वेगळा मुद्दा आहे.

फक्त झापड लावणं आणि कानाडोळा करणे चमत्कारीक आहे... आउटलूकचे संपादक विनोद मेहता यांनी तर "ऐसे छोटेमोठे हादसे..." च्या स्टाईल वर "no big deal" असेच टाईम्स नाऊ वर म्हणले! गंमत म्हणजे, आउटलूक मधेच तेजपाल यांनी त्या मुलीस लिहीलेली आणि त्या मुलीने शोमा चौधरीस लिहीलेली अशा दोन्ही इमेल्स प्रसिद्ध केल्या आहेत. त्या जशाच्या तशा खाली चिकटवत आहेच. शिवाय येथे Outlook चा दुवा पण दिलेला आहे. त्यात तेजपाल यांनी स्वत:च that I was your boss, “That makes it simpler,” असे स्पष्ट म्हणले आहे. जरी त्यांनी नंतर ते शब्द मागे घेतो असे म्हणले असले तरी त्याला काही अर्थ नाही, लाथ मारून नंतर नमस्कार करण्यासारखे आहे. त्या व्यतिरीक्त असे काही मागे घेतलेले नाही असे त्या मुलीचे म्हणणे आहे ते वेगळेच. Following is the full text of the email sent by Tarun Tejpal to the young journalist who has levelled serious charges of sexual assault against him on November 19, 2013. The journalist's response of November 21 follows this email: Dear XXX, This is the hardest thing I will ever do in my life. You are a young woman I have been very proud of, as a colleague’s daughter, and then as a colleague in my own office. I have watched you grow and mature professionally into a journalist of great integrity and promise. It wrenches me beyond describing, therefore, to accept that I have violated that long-standing relationship of trust and respect between us and I apologise unconditionally for the shameful lapse of judgement that led me to attempt a sexual liaison with you on two occasions on 7 November and 8 November 2013, despite your clear reluctance that you did not want such attention from me. I understand the extreme distress you have been feeling and if regret could turn time back, the force of mine would surely place us all back in a space and time before this terrible lapse. I know you feel I used my position as Editor, Tehelka to force my attention on you, and I acknowledge that I did at one point say to your contention that I was your boss, “That makes it simpler,” but I do want to put on record that the moment those words escaped my lips, I retracted them saying “I withdraw that straight away – no relationship of mine has anything at all, ever, to do with that”. I want to reiterate that again today: despite my colossal lapse, working and succeeding in Tehelka will never be predicated on anyone acquiescing to anything untoward. It never has and never will. Having said that though, I acknowledge that there is an inherent disbalance of power in my position as editor-in-chief and you as an employee of Tehelka and there is absolutely no ground or circumstance in which I should have violated the propriety and trust embedded in that relationship. Tehelka has a proud legacy and body of work, to which you yourself and legions of other journalists have contributed. As the founder and editor-in-chief, I have helmed and nurtured this proud institution, and I cannot imagine what insanity drove me to compromise these long, proud years of trust and public work. There are many, many reasons, therefore, why I am smothered with regret. But I want you to know that foremost among them is the fact that I have hurt you and broken your trust in me, and that of many others around me. I have often spoken for the absolute rights and freedoms of women, and it shames me beyond words, to find myself located in this awful context. I would say it was a moment of insanity, except that would mean evading responsibility for it, and that I will not do. I hold myself, first and last, accountable. I know Shoma has urged you not to leave Tehelka, and even as I acknowledge that I have lost the right to say this to you, I would urge you not to leave either. At the very least, I would like to assure you that the space to do your work proudly and freely, without worrying about fear or favour, will always be available to you here. For long years, you have known a different man, a man and editor you trusted and were proud to know. In extreme contrition, I would like you to know that but for this unconscionable lapse, that man still exists and holds you in highest regard. If an apology can heal, please consider this an unconditional one. Tarun *** In response to this email, the complainant responded on November 21 Subject: Re Tarun's apology Dear Shoma, Tarun’s account of what happened on the 7th and 8th of November at Think differs from mine on the following counts: 1. The use of the words “sexual liaison” is a clear misrepresentation of facts, and an attempt to obfuscate the truth — that he sexually molested me, on two separate occasions and that he violated my bodily integrity and trust. 2. He did not even once, utter the words “I withdraw that straight away – no relationship of mine has anything at all, ever, to do with that”. I have written this in my response to his ‘private’ email to me as well, which is cc’d to you and my colleagues who have known about him sexually molesting me from the 7th of November. In conversations with my colleagues you have said that you do not contest the facts of my testimony, which is why you do not see it necessary to constitute an anti sexual harassment cell as per the Vishakha guidelines in this case. However, given that his apology presents an entirely different version from my testimony, i.e. attempts to establish that a “sexual liaison” took place as opposed to him sexually molesting me, I insist once again in the spirit of justice, to constitute an anti sexual harassment cell in accordance with the Vishakha guidelines to investigate this matter. Further, I request you to publicly withdraw your statement that I or other Tehelka journalists are “satisfied”, since my colleagues do not know the full extent of what was done to me, and I am deeply hurt that as my mentor, you could suggest in any way that this blatant misrepresentation of facts would be satisfactory to me.