In 2005, I was working with a newspaper in Chennai when someone came calling from my hometown, Thiruvananthapuram.
This person, who held a senior position with a national daily then, was a teacher-figure for me. He taught me the nuances of writing a report a year earlier at a media centre where I worked immediately after my MCJ course. It was of a big event and he supervised the media centre.
As a post-graduate in communication and journalism who knew more of theory than practical lessons, I was immensely grateful to whatever I learned from him. And I kept in touch with him after I got a job and moved to Chennai from Thiruvananthapuram.
When he told me about his Chennai visit, I was very excited as if I was going to meet someone from home. It was my first stint away from home and I was missing everything related to it. I was 26 and he may have been in his mid-40s.
He said we could meet over lunch at the guest house where he was staying. I went there and had a good time over lunch in the guest house restaurant that was just outside his room.
Post-lunch he said we could sit in the room and talk. I didn't see any danger or awkwardness in it as he was my 'teacher'! To confess, I was too naive with very little knowledge of the outside world.
I walked in to his room and started appreciating the things I saw there. I was gazing through the window still smiling and talking when he came from behind, held my shoulders and kissed behind my neck. I was startled and turned towards him. He cupped my face and planted a wet kiss on my forehead. I felt the area burnt of insult.
I scrambled out and left the place. I was hurt deeply and was struggling hard to hold back tears all the way to my hostel in Nungambakkam. I shared the incident with my roommate and later another friend who was working with a regional daily in Kerala. Both of them advised me to not keep in touch with him again.
I wrote a long mail to him about how the incident hurt me and why I wasn't interested to be in touch with him anymore. He just replied with a one-liner saying he didn't mean "that way". I couldn't take it any other way as I still remember with disgust the tremble in his arms and lips.
That was the last time I met him or talked to him. Thirteen years later, he now holds a plum post with the same daily he worked then.
I buried the incident in my memory as I had overcome the trauma it inflicted. Now I feel I have a platform where I must share it.
This person, who held a senior position with a national daily then, was a teacher-figure for me. He taught me the nuances of writing a report a year earlier at a media centre where I worked immediately after my MCJ course. It was of a big event and he supervised the media centre.
As a post-graduate in communication and journalism who knew more of theory than practical lessons, I was immensely grateful to whatever I learned from him. And I kept in touch with him after I got a job and moved to Chennai from Thiruvananthapuram.
When he told me about his Chennai visit, I was very excited as if I was going to meet someone from home. It was my first stint away from home and I was missing everything related to it. I was 26 and he may have been in his mid-40s.
He said we could meet over lunch at the guest house where he was staying. I went there and had a good time over lunch in the guest house restaurant that was just outside his room.
Post-lunch he said we could sit in the room and talk. I didn't see any danger or awkwardness in it as he was my 'teacher'! To confess, I was too naive with very little knowledge of the outside world.
I walked in to his room and started appreciating the things I saw there. I was gazing through the window still smiling and talking when he came from behind, held my shoulders and kissed behind my neck. I was startled and turned towards him. He cupped my face and planted a wet kiss on my forehead. I felt the area burnt of insult.
I scrambled out and left the place. I was hurt deeply and was struggling hard to hold back tears all the way to my hostel in Nungambakkam. I shared the incident with my roommate and later another friend who was working with a regional daily in Kerala. Both of them advised me to not keep in touch with him again.
I wrote a long mail to him about how the incident hurt me and why I wasn't interested to be in touch with him anymore. He just replied with a one-liner saying he didn't mean "that way". I couldn't take it any other way as I still remember with disgust the tremble in his arms and lips.
That was the last time I met him or talked to him. Thirteen years later, he now holds a plum post with the same daily he worked then.
I buried the incident in my memory as I had overcome the trauma it inflicted. Now I feel I have a platform where I must share it.
84 comments:
More power to you.
ഇതൊക്കെ ഉള്ളതാണോടെ? !
People don't understand, such incidents can not be handled by police and court. We need courageous person like you who can share incidents to bring awareness and cultural change.
Are you referring to a serial sex offender who has been successfully masquerading as one of the top intellectuals among the journalists in Trivandrum? At present, i believe, he heads the bureau of a national daily in the same city. I am a journo from CA and used to make frequent visits to Trivandrum between 2000 and 2010 for a world-bank funded project and happened to stumble upon a small group of students from a training institute where this guy was teaching journalism. One of the students, who used be in touch, told me during 2003 the story of her teacher - forgot his name in fact, but will get it - who is a sex maniac. He, in the pretext of teaching and mentoring, frequently targets journalism students and try to molest them in various situations he creates. Not sure if i still have some tangible proof in my records she shared. i can put here if i find. But is it the same guy? Good that you came out, i couldn't help them at that time since they were not willing to come out and represent, they may be open now, lets see.#MeToo
Which national daily??
We trust her. We, the women trust her. Manassilayo?
#New Journalism
Is he known in a female name,Gouri?
Hi all, thanks for the comments. I'm over it hence didn't want to name it. Intention was to add momentum to the movement. A message to those who suspect a woman's intention when she comes up with such a complaint. Many people who called me after reading this took his name. I was surprised and got to know now that he's a serial offender. I don't regret at all putting this up.
If he reads this, it is enough punishment for him.
ഹായ് ചേച്ചീ എന്തായാലും തുറന്നു പറഞ്ഞത് നന്നായി. അപമാനിക്കപെടുമ്പോഴുള്ള വേദന തീയിൽ വീഴും പോലെയാ.പേര് പറയാതിരുന്നത് വളരെ നന്നായി. ചേച്ചി അയാളുെടെ പേര് പറയുമോ എന്നോർത്ത് അയാളും ഇപ്പോൾ അതേ അവസ്ഥയിലായിരിക്കും. Enjoy this moment🙂👍👍👍
* name him
Be brave ...let this be a platform for the brave..
It was brave of you to write this here. But, now that you have realised that he is a serial offender, it is important that you name him, to save all the young aspiring journalists who would possibly come in contact with him. Many people seem to have hinted his name here and in twitter, and you have not denied it either. It is finally your call. As a woman I can fully understand how difficult it was for you to reach this stage. I personally think you should name and shame this serial molester, for the sake of those youngsters who might fall into his trap again.
What is the response of The Hindu?
Noted journalist Thommen Jose claimed above that all fingers pointed at Gouridasan Nair of The Hindu as serial sex crazed fellow who attacked his student Yamini. Now I don’t understand why he deleted his post n asking justice for victim. Shows the influence of sex predators, hope Thommen would stand by what he said and will support exposing a huge offender. Four lakh views to a 99% clear message by this brave journalist called Yamini on a serious offence and see how the media in Kerala responded to it with their discernible silence. Its high time the newspaper under the cover of which he does all these activities introspect and act. If my information is correct, after Yamini's post went viral today among various groups in tvm there are more professionals who were attacked by him gearing up for a mass #MeToo on this journalistic fiasco.
I have written to the Readers Editor of The Hindu,A S Paneerselvan.I have asked him this question:while the accused Resident Editor of The Hindu is still in place,The Hindu is regularly publishing Me Too charges against the former Editor of Asian Age,M J Akbar.Does morality and ethics have a place in The Hindu?
Double face - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0WvMBZ4pt8
People have sent me a report on this that appeared in pgurus.com and a Me Too account on the same person by Asha Parvathy,who is with the New Indian Express.
I have today put my Tell All Insider Whistleblower Account Revelations on the Watergate and Harvey Weinstein Wrongdoings and Womanizing within India's Two Timing National Newspaper Group on Twitter. A Shocking 15 Years Story on How Constitutional Powers and Public Trust is being Brazenly Abused and Misused WITH IMPUNITY.
The Name of The Newspaper is The Hindu and my name is Murali Krishnan EX RGM Head of Kochi Printing Unit of The Hindu Deposed in A Shocking Multi Dimensional Criminal Conspiracy . My Twitter A/c is @Muralik009 .TRUTH WILL PREVAIL .SATYAMEVA JAYATE.
Hello Yamini. I was also a journalism student in TVM just a few years before you and a topper of our batch. Though we have never known each other before, it didn’t take me a moment to identify that your blog is about Mr. Gowridasan Nair, the celebrated senior journalist -our so-called guru!. I’m sure there are many more like you and me who have been preys to his overtures, and who might have swallowed the bitterness of humiliation at very young ages. Like me they might as well want to come up and call out his name, but you know it’s a very tough call for any genuine woman against a man of his giant stature. Yet, seeing your bold message, I couldn’t resist my moral responsibility to testify your post with my own experience which is not much different from yours. Your voice shouldn’t be brushed aside as a one-off, though I don’t still believe in our system to make any impact on people like him. It’s just gonna be another easily forgettable scoop for at least some people. The very fact that people could identify and name him so easily is a testimonial that this is no secret!
Really bold step Yamini. May you be an inspiration to many like me to bring ourselves to share such incidents publicly so that these shameless gurus stay a little wary. Its never so easy for women. Wish more power to you as well as to more genuine women who are silent sufferers...
THANK U FOR THIS COMMENT.A APPLAUD YOU FOR UR BOLD COMMENT. #METOO IS A BONAMZA AND AN FABULOUS PLATFORM FOR AFEECTED WOMRN TO VENT THEIR SAD AND AN HEART BROKEN MEMORIES, HUMILIATIONS TO LIGHT
Now on to my experience...As an aspiring student, I was given an opportunity to attend one of his interview shoots at Surya TVs studio. Quite excited, I accepted. I went there and could watch the recording and was shown around the studio activities, technical settings, interviewing rules etc. I was really grateful. After the show, guru offered me a lift to drop me on the way. After a quick telephonic update to a friend of mine from a nearby std booth I got on to his car, of course front seat. He drove, discussing about various projects he had in mind which I can work on. One of it being "Graffitti in our lives". He said we need to go to outskirts of the Tvm city to hunt for wall writings in historically important areas to do an article either in print or TV on this theme. The talk about cultural history of Tvm gripped my attention that I failed to notice that the car was moving through an unknown route. When asked about it, he said right way he wanted to show me a "Grafitti" that he suddenly remembered. I got a little uncomfortable and wary as I couldn’t miss a sudden change in his tone. Something prompted me to say that I had phoned my mother and told that sir would be dropping me on the way soon; so we could go some time later. As he insisted it wont take long, I blabbered excuses that came to mind then as I really felt something is not right. I said my mother is a bit sensitive and that if I got late, she would worry and start calling up my friends. At this he seemed to be a little thoughtful, slowed down and switched off his car on to one side of a narrow lane. By then we had reached some isolated quarry like location and it was twilight. And he said, the car is "hot" so needed some time to "cool down" and meantime we can "chitchat". I saw the very same quiver on his hands and voice as described in your post. My hand was almost on the door latch and lo.. his creepy left hand on my thighs trying to move up !.
A shock went up my spine and with all my might I threw that hand off banging hard at his car door saying loudly that SIR , I WANT TO GO NOW. He tried to calm me with his hand through my shoulder and while I was holding myself back with all force, he kept saying "enthu patti" "whats wrong" "why are you upset" as if he is an innocent angel there who couldn’t just understand the shit going on !!!! Somehow I opened the car door and jumped out of it and walked back quickly unable to control crying. He reversed his car to follow and offered to drop me to a nearby auto/bus stand, but I said I can manage. As i walked/ran faster, he drove off. 10-15 mts later I reached a place where I could get an auto and came to nanthencode bus stop. There to my relief, I found a friend of mine to whom I blurted this out and I was helped to get back home. I reported the incident to the then Principal. Though he pacified me that it will be taken care of, obviously he also couldn’t do anything about it as guru continued as a "teacher”
I did not want to follow up further as he was too powerful and influential and my close friends advised me to just forget it and stay away from it. I just wanted to finish studies uneventfully. The remaining period of the course, I met him regularly in the classes, but stayed away from him rather tactfully with great difficulty and swallowing the insult. Once or twice he even reminded me quite seriously about the "Graffitti" project and I made excuses politely. The last I met him was at our convocation where he came to me and asked sternly that he wanted to meet me personally after the function, which I obviously did not do. I was all too shaken that in spite of clearing PTI’s selection test, I decided not to pursue my dream of a career in journalism, as I then felt it too treacherous with such wolves!
Bold that you could initiate this now. Better late than never. If at least one is taken care, our daughters will have that much less to deal with.
Ok, I wish it was because of the kind of pressures you're talking about, which case I'd never have removed the comment. But a well-meaning senior from my days in the campus whom I respect for his level head told me naming the predator is the prerogative of the victim, it was all part of the empowerment that comes with #metoo. He said I had no right to appropriate that. Ergo, I removed it.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to explain. And no, I'm not, never was, any noted journalist.
I came to know of the incident One Legged Wit described here,then-it was 17 years ago.I came to know,because there was an internal enquiry in The Hindu,after her complaint in the Press Club.When I questioned him,he was furious.An important person in the Asian College of Journalism,a close friend of the then Editor of The Hindu,rescued him.
Today,I came to know of another incident in which he harassed Ms S Nambudiri.
Sir, this serial sex offender has used the power of persons like Sasikumar sir and writer Zachariah to get away with his crimes against women and corruption and cultivate a good image for himself as a teacher , journalist , so on. He shares the stage with people like Sasikumar sir and Zachariah sir,to show everybody he is a civilised man, when he is not. Maybe they dont know his real side
After the car incident,I had little contact with him.I met him last,seven years ago.I didn't stay at his home,because I had a grown up daughter with me.
We met in a news agency office in Tutor's Lane.Not the old Hindu office.In the old Hindu office,once I had a chance encounter with N Ravi-totally unexpected,since we had gone to China together,in 1995.
Since my TVM visits were rare,lot of old friends came.
It was midnight,everyone had dispersed.Then I spoke to the accused guru,about Jnaneswari,the Gita interpretation of Sant Jnaneswar.It has been translated into Malayalam by M P Sadasivan Pillai,who was Chairman of Chengannur municipality once,and then an inmate of the Anandashram at Kanhangad.This line,I told him,transcends all that is Shakespearean.This is the line:VESHAPRACHANNAMAYI ETHIYA MARANAMANU JEEVITHAM.
In English:LIFE IS DEATH IN DISGUISE.
The guru,who was never spiritual,asked me to repeat the line several times.It never got ingrained in his mind;I repeated once again,and left.
He was never a giant;he was always hollow.
Zacharia-I had exposed him in three articles,immediately after the demise of OV Vijayan.He had the audacity to attack Vijayan the day after the death.
Sasikumar-several girl students of ACJ had made complaints against S.Menon,another guru in the college.No action was taken for a long time.
Yes.
Jisha I tried to message you. Unfortunately comment option is not available in the Facebook. Please support wcc from all of your supporting organisations because they require support from other women working groups.
Like Yamini,Neerja Dasani had not named the predator in her article in The News Minute(o8 January,2018),but it was revealed later that the offender was Sadanand Menon,who was in the adjunct faculty of ACJ.Hence, The Hindu can't keep mum on the pretext that the victim has not named the Resident Editor.The Reader's Editor,A S Paneerselvan has not replied to me so far.He too,is a guru at ACJ,and is teaching ethics!
with you dear..now and always..
You should file a complaint against that person . If he is serial offender it is your duty that to prevent that person from further exploitation so it is better to file a complaint against this sexual Predator to avoid further tragedies
He should be punished and it would be a lesson for every such wolves in d society..
C Gouridasan Nair has been removed from the post of Journalism Course Director at hiruvananthapuram Press Club;AS Paneerselvan has not written his Reader's Editor column today,pending decision on a Resident Editor.
മിടുമിടുക്കി രക്ഷപ്പെട്ടല്ലൊ.അനിയത്തിയുടെ തുറന്നു പറച്ചിലിനായി ഞാൻ കാത്തിരുന്നു. അഭിനന്ദനങ്ങൾ. ഞാനും തിരുവനന്തപുരത്ത് താമസമാണ്.
So, shocked to know the real side of this 'big shot' . Good that you exposed him. With you, Yamini
Hypocrites , Opportunists and Two Timers rule and run The Hindu Today when NOTHING WILL CHANGE , AS THE ROT IS SYSTEMIC And Most Important Protected and Perpetuated By The Hindu Board . Predators enjoy A Premium in The Hindu . Shameful.
C Gouridasan Nair,Resident Editor,The Hindu at Thiruvananthapuram has been removed from the post,by The Hindu.N Ram spoke against MJ Akbar in Newdelhi yesterday in a forum of women journalists,and returned to a depressed board meetng in Chennai,which took the final decision.The other tin gods,Sasikumar and Zacharia,could not help.
I salute my three sisters who came to the fore and exposed him.I urge them to move forward and encourage their daughters and sisters to fight the rotten system.
Like Yamini and other sisters,I had passed through momemts of agony,angst and anguish-I had known him for almost 40 years,from college days.Now,when our separation is complete,I am reminded of the excellent Maniratnam movie,IRUVAR.
Congrats,Yamini.
Pneerselvan,will be able to write his Reader's Editor column,next week!
In his explanation to The News Minute today,N Ram has made a futile attempt to justify the delay on the part of The Hindu,by invoking the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act,2013.He has said that Yamini was not an employee of The Hindu,and the Act has stipulated a time limit of 3 months.He is miserably wrong-Yamini was not a working woman at that time,was a hapless student,and hence her case comes under the Criminal Law(Amendment)Act,2013,and the action of Gouridasan Nair,amounts to rape.Her case has no time limit.It is a Bishop Franco case.
A correction:Yamini,at the time of the crime,was a working woman,but not with The Hindu-hence,Women at Working Place Act is not applicable,Criminal Law(Amendment)Act 2013 is applicable;in the second case,the victim was a student at the time of occurrence-hence only the Criminal Law(Amendment)Act is applicable.Sections 354 A,B of the Act are relevant in both cases and the punishment is rigorous imprisonment up to 3 years.If the accused is still with The Hindu,it amounts to harboring a criminal,and is an offence.
Journalism is a profession seeking truth,with moral courage.By dodging moral responsibility,and hiding behind legalese,N Ram is trying to rescue the hunter,ignoring the rights of the prey,degrading the journalistic profession in the process.Hence,it will be a service to humanity,if he quits his directorship of The Hindu,which has a tradition of moral dignity.
By giving the hunter an opportunity to dictate terms and conditions and to escape from legal action,people may suspect a criminal conspiracy,and both the parties are incompetent to do any job related to journalism.So,Ram should seriously think of relinquishing his position at ACJ,in the larger interests of imparting journalistc education.
Brave Yamini, we are all with you. And your post will certainly embolden all others who had to pass through similar situations
Ramachandran:: Kudos, for coming out so strong and bold on this issue. While The Hindu and ToI cases came into limelight, I read about the chennai based Thee New Indian Express Editor also coming under the firing line. Why is Mr. Sonthalia silent?
I am surprised by the statement of N Ram(The News Minute)that,Yamini communicated informally that she was willing to name the person to the Internal Complaint Committe(ICC)of The Hindu.This was the trick they played with Neerja Dasani too.Neerja,who didn't name Sadanand Menon,was informally asked to name him to the ICC of asian College of Journalism(ACJ),where he was teaching-she was not a student there.Yamini's ICC is the one at Hindustan Time,not The Hindu!
Thus,the tin gods clique that includes Sasikumar & Ram wanted just to create the impression that,they were on the side of the victims.In the case of Menon,ACJ had even published a statement that the complaint was a ploy to defame him.
I take this opportunity to name a visiting predator at ACJ:Lawrence Liang.
The legal position of N Ram is illegal-a complaint of this sort,even if the ICC gets it,should be handed over to the police,since it is a cognizable offence.According to sections 354 A & B of the Criminal Amendment Act,2013,it is an offence,punishable with 1-5 years of imprisonment.An attempt to outrage the modesty of a woman amounts to rape,and a complaint on such an offence has no time limit.The time limit of 3 months that Ram has stipulated is a figment of imagination.
In this case,Ram,according to his own version,has agreed to the criminal's condition that,he will go on leave.So where is the punishment?
See the difference between The Hindu & Times of India-K R Sreenivas,Resident Editor of TOI at hyderabad,who went on leave,was asked to resign by TOI.And they reported it.The Hindu,which reported extensively on another Editor MJ Akbar & Sreenivas,is today,silent on Gouridasan Nair.
Malayala Manorama,where I worked for 20 years,which boasts of following The Hindu tradition,too has not reported the incident.Is there any candidate in Manorama,for Me Too?
I thank my son,who is with The Economist,for being with me,all through this.
Dear Yamini,
I appreciate this whirlwind of a movement you have brought on.
At this juncture, it would be imperative that I bolster your experience with mine, most importantly with the same man.
In the winter of 2013, I had just started with college and was all of 18. I was interning with the Hindu at Thiruvananthapuram and it was my first internship. The offender, was then the Chief Editor of the Kerala Chapter.
I used to visit office and a few days later, we'd discuss the articles he wrote. One day, I broke down during the course of the day at work as one of the other journalists happened to be rude to me. Remember, I was 18 and quite unused to the wary ways of the world. The said Chief Editor sat me down and was the epitome of empathy. He helped me muster my spirit and solder myself together. I took the hug and the cuddling all to be as an attempt to comfort as we were at the office of The Hindu. I didn't read much to it.
A few days later, towards the end of my internship, he offered to take me out for lunch. I informed my parents who graciously allowed me to do so. Being from one of the Northern Metropolises in India, having a beer was normative. We proceeded to enjoy our conversation and he soon told me that he'd like to give me a book from his house. I scarcely knew that his family would not be present.
On the way there in his car, his hand was brushing my thigh however I ignored it. Once we reached his library, I was looking at the shelves when he held me from behind, turned me around and kissed me. Me, being much taller and stronger than him, pushed him away. He now clenched my wrist and pushed me on the bed. He said that he is sorry and pretended to be caring about my trauma. He felt my burning tears and came next to me on the bed, stood by my side, stroked my head and opened his zipper and whipped his organ out and brought it close to my face. I made my disapproval extremely apparent with my words and reminded him of his impropriety at which juncture he had to rescind on his intentions for some semblance of morality.
If one asks me why I didn't retort violently, I remind you again that I was 18, shocked out of my wits and despite being the cynosure of attention all my life, never had I been denigrated this cruelly. I realised with him despite my legal education, that there is statute of limitations on being an absolute 'douche-bag', to put it colloquially.
He soon dropped me home and our further interactions remained curt on my end and persuasive on his.
Now, over the course of 5 years, he remains stripped of the respect I initially held for him and as only a blemish of a memory.
Oh.. Gross... He must be in Jail.....
No words...
Shaken and disturbed to the core
Neeja Dasani quoted Karl Marx for pseudo left liberals like N Ram and Sasikumar:SHAME IS A REVOLUTIONARY SENTIMENT.
Since I am not Eurocentric,I quote Mahabaratha:THE MAN WHO LUSTS,WILL BE DESTROYED BY LUST.
This was in reference to Bhishma!
Bishop Franco is protected by Catholic Church,P K Sasi, by CPI(M), Gouridasan by The Hindu,Sadanand and Lawrence by ACJ,and people continue to worship false gods.Ram and Paneerselvan,are you listening?
shocking to core, but thanks all of you , that it give immense courage and good will to fight against the sexual predators, thanks ramachandran, for the stand u r taking in support of women , when many took side with g. nair.
There is a child molestation incident too...
Dear friend, I strongly feel you should take up your case with the management. You may reach out to me if you need any help. Pls DM on Twitter
Hats off to you, Yamini. Your blogpost achieved what some of us who had worked with him for a long time in The Hindu could not. It was an agony to work in a bureau headed by him. He was a master at match fixing, but a very crude one. I had written several letters to the management under a so-called whistleblower policy trying to expose him, his many unholy interests and how they affected the morale of those working with him and the newspaper's tradition of good journalism. But he enjoyed the protection of the most powerful man in the organisation. The Hindu was a great place to work when G. Kasturi was the Editor. The whole atmosphere changed after N. Ram took over. I joined the paper way back in 1978 and left in 2014 (36 years!) when two more years remained for me to retire. I even came to hate going to the bureau after Gouri took over as the bureau chief. Such a tragedy of wrong choice to be in that position professionally. He had a finger in every unholy pie and he was unshakeable because of Ram's protection. Fed up, some of us just left. I shall put here the link to my facebook post here to show how he had survived even very grave corruption charges before: https://www.facebook.com/venugopal.unnithan.9/posts/10211712235912678 Wish you all the very best.
A bureau chief of a powerful daily called me yesterday on behalf of the criminal,and said,Yamini's accusation was very silly and that I need not have supported her.Further he asked me,why Yamini went to his room.I said:MAKALK APPANTE KOODE POKAM-a daughter can go to a room with her dad!(bureau chief is a christian,hence,appan!).
A magazine invited me to write my version on ME TOO,and I have done it.
If Yamini had made a complaint to the ICC of The Hindu,it would have rejected it on two grounds:1.The incident didn't take place inside The Hindu.2.Yamini is not an employee of The Hindu.They would have rejected it after 3 months,by which time,the criminal would have retired.
I had always wanted to be a journalist,and a dozen,who didn't have an aim,followed me,and this criminal was one among them.When now I look around me,at the media world,I see a funeral led by Oedipus,with Jacosta,Ismene and Antigone following him.It is the Theater of the Absurd,and I see,Albert Camus,who died in an absurd car accident in Algiers the year I was born,laughing at me.
I read a book,The Existentialist Cafe recently,and I found that,Simone de Beavoir,who was living with Sartre,was supplying girl students to him.This is the euro centrism,dramatis personae in the Yamini episode are following.
https://twitter.com/book_polygamist/status/1049733185544716290
https://twitter.com/AnnieThomaz/status/1048780096624939008
Isn't this The New Indian Express being targeted? Been weeks since the 6 or 7 allegations surfaced, but they are yet to even make a statement. The Editor in Chief retweets idealistic messages congratulating the brave women who came out against sexual harassment in media.
Mukund Padmanabhan,Editor of The Hindu and Suresh Nambath,National Editor,attended the bureau meeting of The Hindu yesterday at The Hindu office in Thiruvananthapuram yesterday,and made a Hanuman of the offender the new bureau chief.The Offender had called Hanuman,two days before he departed,and told him that the Editor would call him,and should not reject the offer.Hanuman was earlier implicated in a fake news incident.Onlt one person spoke against the misconduct of the criminal,his acts to create division in the bureau,and his uncivilized behaviour.
Hanuman declared that he would sit in the cabin of the criminal only after he retires on 31 December.The criminal,thus,continues be the Resident Editor on leave.
There are unconfirmed reports that the criminal joined the top three for the lunch,outside.
I see from N Ram's tweet and Yamini's response to The News Minute that,Gouridasan Nair has resigned.I am sorry if I had hurt the sentiments of any one,by any of my comments.Good bye.
An anecdote from a senior journalist:
Mr Y Kumar was outside the Press Club,when Gouridasan came out of sanketham,the bar inside the club.They began a conversation,when a man came out of a car parked opposite,crossed the road,rushed to where they were,and hit Gouridasan hard.When Mr Kumar tried to block the man,he said:"You need not interfere,this b...d harassed my daughter".
Gouridasan received the blows without any protest.When the man turned back,Gouridasan,went to his car and drove away,without explaining to Mr Kumar.
Mr Kumar got the answer only now,from this blog,and we are not sure whether Gouridasan identified the father,since the affected parents are many.
A former bureau chief,who broke a big scandal,called me and told me that I have shown Gouridasan a way out-the spiritual path.
I said:"he will soon become the disciple of Swami Gangeshananda,who was bobbitised by a law student,in August,2017".
Ramachandran, With Mission Hindu accomplished, can you please let the world know as to whats behind the allegations at The New Indian Express. We have seen multiple tweets from ex-journos, but ironical they haven't named the culprit nor the paper. Fear, Pressure or part of a well advised strategy - the riding motive isn't clear.
Am sure you can pick up the phone and pose this question directly to @manojksonthalia
Need clarity of thought before the the next batch of youngsters roll up with their request for advise on best organisations to join.
Does the TNIE has a role or space, especially after the division of assets into North and South. They seem more keen on real estate and mall businesses. The print/editorial offices and working conditions are abysmal. Thought at least they still stood for the erstwhile 'true journalism' principles of the past.
I have written to Mr Manojkumar Sonthalia,and Mr Prabhu Chawla,the Editorial Director of The New Indian Express.I have named the offender in it.
The Deccan Chronicle had published a story,MEDIA ME TOO PERPS UNDER SCRUTINY,on October 11,accusing an important Editor of the daily,of harassment.They published the tweets by Roshni and Annie Thomas,against him,and said,six women are his victims.It said the Editor's name is there in imprint,making the name clear.
I feel,the victims should complain to the ICC of The New Indian Express,if they are still with the daily.
Thanks a lot Mr. Ramachandran!
I spoke to a Senior Editor there,and he told me the offender is very unpopular.The management is protecting him because,there are no written complaints.The Deccan Chronicle story is taken by the Chairman as,an attack on the daily by a competitor.Annie,he said,resigned five month's ago.The offender wanted to see her watch,and brushed her body against her,I am told.
Even if a victim is not in TNIE,she should try the ICC,since all ICC's are not like the one in ACJ.Lawrence Lyang is with the Ambedkar University,and the victim is a PhD student in Delhi University.But the ICC of Ambedkar University,found him guilty.
Though I don't know Annie personally,I had attended her wedding-her husband's dad was a friend of mine,who is no more.He too,was an Editor!
*brushed his
All the dailies except The New Indian Express have acted upon the Me Too charges,and it is high time Manojkumar Sonthalia did something.Certain people like him,want to rot and then stink.Initially,I didn't know of the charges,but now I am fully aware and the news room of Sonthalia, is abuzz.
Every one is is now talking about the revelations made by the 17 year old girl,against Gouridasan Nair,in India Protests.Like many,I know her father,and I had been to her home,too.
It is a non bailable offence,in her case.FB posts are not suffice,some thing else has to be done.I had said,I never went to Gouridasan's home,with my daughter.
Thanks Ramachandran sir for the update. It talks a lot about the character of TNIE as an institution under Mr. Manoj Sonthalia. Must be a sadistic misogynist to hide behind the technicality of no written complaints. He needs common sense and a sense of respect for the women who have come out openly on social media. He makes the Hindu management looks like saints!!!
The revelation of the 17 year old victim has sent shock waves,among the intelligentsia of the state.Yet,Gouridasan is still a member of the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust,which gives the prestigious Vayalar literary award every year.M K Sanoo is President of the Trust,and C V Thrivikraman,Secretary.I feel,the victims,especially Yamini,should talk to Malaa Parvathy,activist and actress,who is daughter of Thrivikraman,on this.She has been keeping mum on the entire issue.I have spoken to some members.
I would like to remind Mr Manojkumar Sonthalia,of the great tradition of The Indian Express.
H Y Sharada Prasad was the youngest news editor,India ever had.He was just 24,when Ramnath Goenka made him the news editor.Pothen Joseph waa the Editor.
On the day Gandhiji was assassinated,Pothen Joseph went to his cabin from the news room,and shut the door behind.Everyone was shocked,since he used to keep the door open.He cried in silence.After half an hour,he opened the door,and handed over the editorial,he wrote on the assassination,to Sharada Prasad.It had the sentence,which people repeat even today,without knowing the author:"Gandhiji made men out of clay".
When the Editor went out,a man in ragged clothes came inside the news room,approached Sharada Prasad,and told him:"I have an obituary"
"There is no dearth of obituaries today",replied Sharada Prasad.
"But,he was my father",said the stranger.He was Harilal,Gandhiji's elder son.
During Goenka's time,it had stalwarts like Pothen Joseph,Sharda Prasad,Kasa Subba Rao and C N Chitharanjan.
When Arun Shourie was ousted as Executive Editor,Goenka gave an interview,a rare thing for a proprietor to do.Goenka said:"Shourie was a race horse,and I had tied that horse to my tonga!".
Donkeys have replaced horses.
S Radhakrishnan had famously said:"Centuries of life make little tradition,and centuries of tradition make little history,and centuries of history make little civilization,and we had lots of centuries of civilization."
Sonthalia is presiding over the funeral of a great tradition.Oh,it is not The Indian Express,it is the all NEW Indian Express!
Vikram Sharma,Asst Resident Editor,TNIE,Telengana,has resigned,protesting against the misconduct of G S Vasu,the Editor in Chief of TNIE.The daily has constituted an ICC consisting of Lakshmi Menon,and advocate Sudha Ramalingam,as external member.
Can't believe someone has the audacity to leave THIS comment on this post.
The person concerned is not a cultureless man; in fact he performs as if he is the epitome of intellectual understanding and gender sensitivity....
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