Ira Trivedi Chetan Bhagat Metoo
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Decoding Ira Trivedi-Chetan Bhagat #MeToo & real picture

How many of you knew Ira Trivedi before her #MeToo story. Well, this is the first time I hear this name, don’t know about anybody else. I guess, most among us know who Chetan Bhagat is. Let’s start the Ira Trivedi Chetan Bhagat MeToo chapter with first about Ira Trivedi Chetan Bhagat followed by her version of the story.

 Ira Trivedi – Chetan Bhagat MeToo (#MeToo India)

Firstly, who is Ira Trivedi?

  • As per her Twitter profile, she is the writer of 8 books on Yoga, teacher of Yoga and Founder of Namami Yoga.
  • As per Wikipedia – Ira Trivedi is the daughter of Vishwapati Trivedi, a bureaucrat who has held various senior positions with GOI. He was also the Chairman of Air India.
  • Her grandmother – Kranti Trivedi was a known Hindi writer. In 2010, then Congress Govt. (UPA-II)  released a Stamp in her honor.
  • Her great-grandfather, Pandit Ravishankar Shukla, was the first Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and because of this, his family was known as the first family of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Her family also includes –  Vidya Charan Shukla (Ex-Minister) and Shyama Charan Shukla ( Ex-C.M. of Madhya Pradesh), both were from Congress party.
Chetan Bhagat is an IIT, IIM alumni and later became Investment Banker. He became famous with the launch of books – Five points someone & One Night at the Call Center. He has released many books and more than 7 million copies of his books have been sold till now. He is also the columnist and screenwriter. On 13th October, Outlook India reported her story-
  • In her Outlook story, Ira says that she was harassed by Chetan Bhagat and Suhel Seth.
  • She feels that this is her responsibility to gather some courage and speak up about her own #MeToo. For her, this is the long-overdue chance for change and she should contribute by telling her piece of the story.
  • Around 10 years back, she met then Indian literary star Chetan Bhagat at a book launch event, Chetan was keen to know her reaction when any men in a direct way convey that he is attracted to her. Ira’s responded that “I tell him that, If he buys a hundred books, I will offender him, and if he buys all my books then I’ll marry him”, thinking that this way she might sound lively and intelligent (clever).
  • As per Ira, a few weeks later Chetan invited her to a public place, and there he insisted to meet in his room. After some resistance, Ira agreed and went in his room, but then he made a pass at her and tried to implant a kiss. When shockingly she asked why? Chetan said that he has already bought a hundred books and donated to one library!
  • Though she feels, it was harmless but at that moment, she felt uncomfortable.
Around 10 years back, she met then Indian literary star Chetan Bhagat at a book launch event, Chetan was keen to know her reaction when any men in a direct way convey that he is attracted to her. Ira’s responded that I tell him that, If he buys a hundred books, I will kiss him, and if he buys all my books then I’ll marry him, thinking that this way she might sound lively and inlligent (clever).
Ira also accused Suhel Seth, that he behaved inappropriately many times. On this accusation, Chetan responded with a series of tweets:-

Shame on media like @outlookindia who carried a fake charges story without even checking with me. They could have easily checked on YouTube that I launched her book in 2015/16. Who calls their harasser as chief guest for their book launch? Video here: https://t.co/g6uIOVLjeS

— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 15, 2018 In another tweet, targetted Akbar along with Chetan Bhagat-

Lastly, @chetan_bhagat, MJ Akbar & all, NO WOMAN looks to attract negative attention. It’s not fun, it’s not easy and it takes immense energy, courage and will. I or any woman for that matter has anything personal against @chetan_bhagat.

— Ira Trivedi (@iratrivedi) October 15, 2018 As we see here, we have information from both – Story from Ira Trivedi and some pieces of evidence from Chetan Bhagat. Chetan refutes Ira’s claim with these supporting facts (from tweets):
  • “They could have easily checked on YouTube that I launched her book in 2015/16. Who calls their harasser as chief guest for their book launch?  (video mentioned embedded in the tweet above).
  • “Self-explanatory email from 2013 to me, esp last line, easily shows her claims from 2010 are false, and she knows this too.”
What actually happened then and what prompted Ira Trivedi now to wake-up after around 8 years to name and shame Chetan Bhagat, is simply not understood easily by many, if we go by the reason given by Ira. Lucky for Chetan Bhagat to have a couple of evidence (already shared by him on Twitter), but not all #MeToo victims are lucky enough to defend themselves. As we have seen in this storm, named #MeToo, the likes of Union Minister M.J. Akbar has already fallen to dirt. Apart from naming Chetan Bhagat & Suhel Seth, Ira’s tweets worked relentlessly on another man – Union Minister M.J. Akbar, even more than Chetan Bhagat and Suhel Seth.
  • Coincidently first two supported PM Modi, and the third one was in Modi’s team.
  • Coincidentally her family includes all-powerful politicians from Congress party.
  • Coincidentally she did not name any other person like Vinod Dua, Sajid Khan, Jatin Das, Vikas Bahl. She termed them as “powerful, important and influential, particularly in the world I inhibit”.
However, she forgot to mention her very strong kind of political background, which very few people in India can boast about.

Serious questions Ira Trivedi must answer to strengthen her case to save #MeToo Movement-

  1. If she was so much deeply hurt with the 8-year old incident, then who forced her to write the honey-coated message to Chetan Bhagat, where she is simply throwing the Kisses even after the Awkward intent to attempt the kiss on her by Chetan Bhagat which shaken her so heavily then.
  2. Her language in the letter, at least by some iota is a kind of luring the Bhagat, and happily wanted him to join her for an event in 2013.
  3. Why she did not go to the police and register the FIR or any attempt to kiss or play with her modesty.
  4. Ira comes from one of the most elite political families in India, She could have easily invited any of BIG names to launch her book in the year 2015-16. If in reality, she was so deeply hurt, then who in the world forced her to call the same harasser – Chetan Bhagat for her Book Launch.
  5. If we talk on pure gain-loss theory, then by calling Chetan Bhagat for the book launch, quite understandably it was Ira Trivedi, who was benefitted, not the Chetan Bhagat. In other words, we can also say that Ira Trivedi used Chetan Bhagat for her own benefit.
  6. Ira Trivedi knew that Brand – Chetan Bhagat has the power to influence many, especially the book readers, or at least it’s an assurance that if he comes, at least book-launch will not go unnoticed.
With these questions asked to Ira and by using the simple commonsense, It does not seem to be a case of harassment but looks more like mild flirting from both ends as claimed by both separately. And if we go by Chetan’s evidence, Ira Trivedi’s language of words also understood to be honey-coated and also not denying the possibility of flirting from her side. But at the same time, we must wait and should not hesitate to support Ira Trivedi, if she can come up with something substantial facts/evidence to support her claim. The beauty of #MeToo like movements is that, if you are claiming something wrong and try to finish one, and later if supporting facts will be against you, then you must also be ready to be finished. Beware, It is a Two-sided Sword which you might have used to harm someone else with bad intent, it may even kill you if gone otherwise!

Why REAL #MeToo should get the strong support system

  • Most #Metoo confessions that have come up are the cases of workplace harassment and exploitation, in such cases, victims must come-up with such serious cases against offenders with some sorts of evidence/audio/video/mail etc.
  • The good thing is that now serial predators who are rich/affluent afraid to be named and shamed. If there is any victim known to you, who is not opening up, one must come up and encourage them to file a complaint and before doing so gather some sort of proof.
  • Legislative, Judiciary and Administration all must make some provisions to support the victims and fast delivery in such cases.

But it is also being misused

  • #Metoo has become a mania or fad among many high profile women especially those who did not get the limelight, which they desired and for them, such shortcut root seems to more convenient.
  • Such false allegations can damage & depress the accused and even destroy his entire family. In the name of women empowerment, one should not be hanged in public by doing media trials. Such cases should be seriously and thoroughly examined.
  • Both sides must be shown. Bother type of cases should bring into public news domain when male offenders are punished and also when the name of ‘Liar’ and ‘conspiratory’ female proven as the real culprit.
  • In some cases because of any personal reason/s females taking revenge on men on individual capacity, then they conspire and try to blackmail him.
  • Due to bad name and shame after such accusation, one Anirban Blah who employed in a celeb management firm attempted suicide and saved by police at last moment.
Many of us must have heard the story of a woman, who made fool of people for the first 3 times. Every time people heard and came for help, but after such buff incidents, they all knew her character/habit and formed an opinion about her. Finally when actually wolf came, woman’s cry for help gone in vain, nobody believed her. Result – wolf killed her and eaten her body. If most of the women will falsely implicate the men, then nobody will believe the real story and obviously, #MeToo will die an early death.

Motivated Movement with vested interests

“With a specific pattern”

  • It is now not a secret that, in India because of many vested interests, ultra-left and left-wing plan many such things to agitate people for their own benefits.
  • We have witnessed many such cases which were planned due to political reasons, like Award Wapasi, Mob Lynching, growing intolerance,  and now MeToo.
  • Not every #MeToo story comes under this category, but this is pretty early to comment on a similar pattern as #AwardWapasi.
  • It is like, there is someone or an organized group of people exists, which tells these people – “Fire” (shoot) as a traditional war situation. And then immediately there is a flood of tweets from Left-wing people, immediate coverage by media, Newspaper flooded with front page coverage, expert view from a similar group of people.
  • Most of the time, they will successfully make people believe that this is such a crisis that every single individual is affected by this and everyone thinks in a similar manner.
  • That’s how they manipulate with the facts and fulfill their own agenda.
It is like, there is someone or an organized group of people exists, which tells these people – “Fire” (shoot) as a traditional war situation. And then immediately there is a flood of tweets from Left-wing people, immediate coverage by media, Newspaper flooded with front page coverage, expert view from a similar group of people.
  • Pattern again is same – Most of the cases which were specifically picked and chosen by left-supporting media came in a regular frequency and mainly targetted the persons who are known as the non-political supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The timing of #MeToo India

  • Dramatically it all started when due to Police complaint and protests by Christian nuns, media was forced to show the cases of Nun rape by Church’s priests/Father, and suddenly a flood of such news started to pour in.
  • Many of the nuns started complaining to Vertical POPE, against the Faher of the Church. Nuns from Kerala, Punjab. Nuns reported to police and administration.
  • It seemed that a volcano is going to erupt soon of Sexual Harassments in Churches across the country.
  • Suddenly imported #MeToo started dramatically and overnight it was made a sensation by Media.
  • It started with Nana Patekar, suddenly Tanushri Dutta (As per Wikipedia, she converted to Christianity) landed in India after happily living in the US for previous 10 years or so, and dramatically charged Nana Patekar of harassment.
  • With no surprise, media forget everything else and that is how India’s own #MeToo started.
Tanushree Dutta also named Vivek Agnihotri, who is a known Flagbearer of the people who oppose Leftist hypocrisy, Urban Naxals. People who were on set on the date this incident was reported, many came with a single voice and denied the Tanushree Dutta’s charges and called them motivated.

So they know well, whom to support.

But surprisingly Bollywood’s Elite Brigade which includes Farhan Akhtar, Priyanka Chopra, Swara Bhaskar, Priyanka Chopra, Pariniti Chopra, Sonam Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anurag Kashyap, Twinkle Khanna, Kunal Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and many more tweeted in support of Tanushree Dutta immediately. Again like a war, when some authority might have told them all – “Fire”, and they all fired the thread of tweets. But it didn’t happen when the kind of Sajid Khan, Vinod Dua were made accused. And later many such people made accused which includes – Akshay Kumar, Chetan Bhagat, Suhel Seth, M.J. Akbar, Kailash Kher, Rahul Johri (BCCI CEO), Jatin Das (Painter), Alok Nath, Piyush Mishra, Rajat Kapoor, Zulfi Syed, Subhash Ghai, Vikas Bahl, Kunal Kaushal, Mushtaq Shaikh, Abhijeet Bhattacharya  and many more. With a huge surprise, one Hairstylist Sapna dared Amitabh Bachchan that soon stories will be surfaced against him. Interestingly those who oppose Modi, are not fortunate enough to get the much Media Trial, like Vinod Dua (The Wire), Sidharth Bhatia (co-founder- The Wire ).
  • Now an era has come where people are feared that they must have evidence and record of actual conversations with the female, god knows what happens to whom.
  • By this movement, the trust deficit between man and woman is trying to touch the lowest point.
  • In the manner, media trial selectively hangs people to Name & Shame, Me too is become a joke of the decade.
  • Media should support all MeToo cases without any bias and more they should talk about solid pieces of evidence and convey that ultimate resort is Judiciary, not the Media.
  • There should not be a fight between the genders, and more efforts needed to bridge the trust deficit between both males and females. #MeToo is not bad, it’s really good for the country and by this “Samudra-Manthan”, accused must the identified, specifically serial offenders and punished by courts.
  • But there are many cases with VESTED Interests and publicity stunt, those also need identification of such cases and further inquiry in those cases.
One must not forget that not all males are rapists, not all females are innocent! This is not only about #MeToo, but more than 40% of cases of sexual abuse, dowry, work-placement harassment has some different agenda. So media restrict itself with the self-regulation & code of conduct, else should also be made a party in cases where the victim/accused or their family member’s life suffered hugely or even destroyed. People must wait and watch about anything which is mainly a media creation, gradually after seeing the pattern, support system, bigger picture of the issue itself and then only we must carefully make the opinion. Beware of any such thing, which is inorganically grown and seems to be sponsored or paid one. Make this #MeToo customized to India and use it as a tool to punish the REAL sexual predators, No Naming & Shaming and Media Trial please, have faith in our system & judiciary. Don’t try to generalize it with Male Vs. Female else this Bhasmasur is not going to leave anyone. Hope for justice, harmony, peace, and joy!
Refrerence:


https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/metoo-chetan-bhagat-suhel-seth-harassed-me-author-ira-trivedi/318258

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