#metoo arrives closer home to Chennai, where I live and has become #TimesUP. Casting couch is a "normal" phrase that everyone has heard of.....it has also hit the carnatic music industry....and cupboards are slowly being cleared of cobwebs.
I hear...."There are so many women/men who exchange sex for favours; and now they turn around and blame the other"!! And I ask "if my work can speak for itself and merit alone was the criteria, would I still use sex to curry favours??" What kind of a system have we developed that one HAS to resort to this??
Most relationships aren't equal. We all know this - guru-sishya, influencer-follower, uncle-niece/nephew, a person of repute-aspirant, boss-employee......and so on and so forth. It is imperative that the person in power never misuse this. It is his/her work that has brought one to his pedestal. To misuse this is to insult ones work!!
I always expect the person in "power" in every relationship to uphold the higher moral!! It is that simple. And it is when they break this trust.....and others don't do anything.....then we are NO different from animals!!
I read two articles that I resonate with and I share these here. The first talks about "why didnt she speak" https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/why-didn-t-she-speak-then-8-questions-me-too-movement-answered-89742
and the second about the Carnatic world's #metoo moment.
Rather than investigate if the perpetrator committed this crime, many questions seem to be on the veracity of the accuser. Is it possible that some people might use this moment to sully the movement....duh....YES. But is it going to be the majority of claimants....NO...I don't think so!! We all have heard of people in power preying ....look into (y)our own families, workplace, social networks.....
Just try and put yourself in the shoes of these accusers and who they are taking on!! The courage is unbelievable!!
If you don't stand up with the weak when they need you, what do you really stand for???