National Commission for Women chief, Rekha Sharma, has condemned the recent comment by Kerala’s independent MLA PC George who called a rape survivor nun a “prostitute”. George called a press conference in which he used the derogatory term for the nun who has accused Jalandhar-based Bishop Franco Mullackal of raping her 13 times over a period of two years from 2014.
Goerge’s statement caused great disappointment to the survivor who cried after hearing his words. Reacting to this, Sharma said, “I am ashamed of such lawmakers who are giving these statements instead of helping women. NCW has already taken up the matter and we will write to the DGP demanding strict action against him.”
In an exclusive interview with SheThePeople.TV, the NCW chief said, “Police should take immediate action against such people. But in many such cases, I have seen that police does not take cognizance because such people are holding a position and somewhere they are influencing the police also.”
“Secondly, people should not vote only for such people. Women, especially, should not vote for such men politicians who stand for election the next time.”
Sharma pointed out that the problem in India is that people forget these things very soon. “People should not forget such incidents and they should vote out these lawmakers when they stand as candidates the next time.”
George’s presence at the Trivandrum Press Club, which had held a press conference for the Kerala floods, also angered women journalists because of his misogynistic comment against the nun. After the meeting, journalists and members of the press club, M Sarita Varma and Saraswathy Nagarajan, wrote a letter to the office-bearers of Trivandrum Press Club, expressing their strong protest against the choice of guest.
"Police should take immediate action against such people. But in many such cases, I have seen that police does not take cognizance because such people are holding a position and somewhere they are influencing the police also.”
ALSO READ: How Easy It Is To Call Rape Survivors ‘Prostitutes’ In Our Country
“We feel profoundly let down that the elected management of Trivandrum Press Club could invite a brazen misogynist as PC George as a guest for a Meet-the-Press function. As you know, giving space for a potential newsmaker's press conference and inviting someone for a Meet-the-Press are two acts of mutually different dimensions,” read the letter to president G Pramod and secretary M Radhakrishnan of Trivandrum Press Club, reported TNM.
In the letter, journalists also called out the message the press club sent out by inviting George. “It was a tight slap on the self-respect of your media colleagues that the office-bearers chose to honour this particular legislator with a guest-tag, at a juncture when there is countrywide outrage over his much-repeated misogynist and obscene comments. Do consider that this has been a venue, which has hosted the most luminous minds in the likes of Kuldip Nayar, Vandana Shiva, Winnie Mandela etc!”
In response, the press club said, “This meeting was scheduled well in advance, even before PC George held the press conferences on the nun’s protests. However, in hindsight, we should have cancelled the Meet-the-Press after he had made the obscene comments about the nun. We promise to be more sensitive while making decisions that involve inviting special guests.”
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Women Shouldn't Vote For People Making Sexist Comments: NCW Chief
National Commission for Women chief, Rekha Sharma, has condemned the recent comment by Kerala’s independent MLA PC George who called a rape survivor nun a “prostitute”. George called a press conference in which he used the derogatory term for the nun who has accused Jalandhar-based Bishop Franco Mullackal of raping her 13 times over a period of two years from 2014.
Goerge’s statement caused great disappointment to the survivor who cried after hearing his words. Reacting to this, Sharma said, “I am ashamed of such lawmakers who are giving these statements instead of helping women. NCW has already taken up the matter and we will write to the DGP demanding strict action against him.”
In an exclusive interview with SheThePeople.TV, the NCW chief said, “Police should take immediate action against such people. But in many such cases, I have seen that police does not take cognizance because such people are holding a position and somewhere they are influencing the police also.”
“Secondly, people should not vote only for such people. Women, especially, should not vote for such men politicians who stand for election the next time.”
Sharma pointed out that the problem in India is that people forget these things very soon. “People should not forget such incidents and they should vote out these lawmakers when they stand as candidates the next time.”
George’s presence at the Trivandrum Press Club, which had held a press conference for the Kerala floods, also angered women journalists because of his misogynistic comment against the nun. After the meeting, journalists and members of the press club, M Sarita Varma and Saraswathy Nagarajan, wrote a letter to the office-bearers of Trivandrum Press Club, expressing their strong protest against the choice of guest.
ALSO READ: How Easy It Is To Call Rape Survivors ‘Prostitutes’ In Our Country
“We feel profoundly let down that the elected management of Trivandrum Press Club could invite a brazen misogynist as PC George as a guest for a Meet-the-Press function. As you know, giving space for a potential newsmaker's press conference and inviting someone for a Meet-the-Press are two acts of mutually different dimensions,” read the letter to president G Pramod and secretary M Radhakrishnan of Trivandrum Press Club, reported TNM.
In the letter, journalists also called out the message the press club sent out by inviting George. “It was a tight slap on the self-respect of your media colleagues that the office-bearers chose to honour this particular legislator with a guest-tag, at a juncture when there is countrywide outrage over his much-repeated misogynist and obscene comments. Do consider that this has been a venue, which has hosted the most luminous minds in the likes of Kuldip Nayar, Vandana Shiva, Winnie Mandela etc!”
In response, the press club said, “This meeting was scheduled well in advance, even before PC George held the press conferences on the nun’s protests. However, in hindsight, we should have cancelled the Meet-the-Press after he had made the obscene comments about the nun. We promise to be more sensitive while making decisions that involve inviting special guests.”
More Stories by Poorvi Gupta