“Obliged to Harass Sexually”


I am on a blog holiday, not voluntary rather an enforced one, as I don’t have net connection as yet. I was jolted out of this enforced hibernation when I came across a startling bit of news, a revelation of sorts. There I was ensconced in my favorite chair newspaper in hand and my morning cuppa beside me. The usual stuff, strikes, bombings, terrorist activities, killings and such cheerful news greeted me as my eyes scanned the day’s paper. All pretty normal. What a wonderful world we live in, I mused as I went from page to page little realizing what awaited me on page eleven. My jaw dropped in amazement. Disbelieving my eyes, I shook my head to clear it of whatever might inadvertently have been added to my morning cuppa though I must admit I made it myself. I read the bit of news a second time and then a third. It remained the same even after the third read. Hmm….

Sexual harassment okay as it ensures humans breed, Russian judge rules” it said.

Now I bet you didn’t know that!! Frankly neither did I. What stupid idiots we are, the majority of us I mean. It takes someone special and gifted to come along and open our eyes. Makes me wonder what the heck those people all over the world think they are doing fighting sexual harassment??!! Endangering the human species is what they are doing, the ignoramuses!! Do they want humans to follow the dodo into extinction?? Foolish people!! Oh Lord forgive them their ignorance, they know not what they are doing. Just reading what the newspaper said next chilled me to the marrow.

If we had no sexual harassment we would have no children,” the Judge ruled

Omigosh!! Imagine what catastrophe would have resulted from our collective ignorance if not for a learned and eminent Judge like him daring to point out facts of life to the lot of us!! Humans as a race would have disappeared off the face of the Earth. Phew what a scary prospect!

Hmmm…. On second thoughts, I wonder…. is it such a scary one??

When a young girl of 22 is locked out of her office for refusing to have intimate relations with her 47 year old boss and files a case against him, the Judge feels it is alright to throw the case out not due to lack of evidence but because he says, the employer had acted gallantly not criminally. Hmmm… It is not only time for you and me to redefine the word ‘gallant’ but also to understand and accept what a gracious act sexual harassment is. Employers are obliged says the learned Judge, to make passes at female staff, to ensure the survival of the human race. Can it get any nobler than that??

To read the whole news click here

Reposted from shail-mohan blogs @ sulekha.com

21 thoughts on ““Obliged to Harass Sexually”

  1. You know what, Shail? Just like Ganga, I counted the months to see if it wasn’t April! and I still am rubbing my eyes, in spite of reading the news in full and double-checking the fact that the site is telegraph.co.uk.

  2. Roopa, a sad state of affairs, isn’t it?! I caught the news in our edition of the Indian Express yesterday and then surfed the net to find more about it. Found quite a few forums discussing the news and some blogs on it as well apart from the news sites displaying it. This is absolutely crazy!!

  3. Wow… We live in a funny little world… don’t we?? Tomorrow there might arise something like this ‘Killing/murdering is not a crime as it is helping the world reduce its population!!!’ DUH!!! No wonder these days I come across more crazy people around. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry reading this stuff… Well… I guess this world has already made me half crazy :(

  4. Bubbly, exactly!! One doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It would have been simply funny if not for the fact that it is true and is actually happening. So terribly sad!!

  5. Good God!!!!
    Good! God!!!!
    Good God!
    when i was in engg college ragging and sexual harassment almost crossed lines with each other…
    if this rule were applicable then….
    God! thanks a million for not being born in Russia!!!!

  6. I forwarded that news to 10 of my irish/scottish female colleagues here….
    there are some Russians too here… couldnt find their names anyway…
    lemme wait how they are gonna react!!!!

  7. ok…came back again… now my colleagues are thinking about one of our boss here who is famous for ‘this’ kind of behavior…

  8. Swathi, I can understand you ‘Good God’ing. The news is indeed such as to have Us all go “GOOD GOD!!!!!!!” in one collective exclamation of utter shock!
    I suppose every office has its candidate for ‘this’ sort of behavior. But justifying it legally is what is unbelievable! :O

  9. OH MY GOD!!! was my first and utmost reaction to the Judge’s justification of the issue at hand. What kind of philosophy is that?! It is very biased. Why would anyone in his intelligent mind could give such statements??? Only the word “harassment” itself gives already a negative impact. Then why it would be given “honor” so to speak??? I just can’t put down my raised eyebrows! This is UNBELIEVABLE!

  10. Richette, precisely how most of us reacted to the news of the ruling by the Judge!! Indeed, it is totally UNBELIEVABLE!!

  11. I dont know what to say…though sexual harassment is everywhere, it is unbelievable to realise there is a society which approves it…

    Last week when i was at dubai, i saw a women on the road shouting at a person driving a four wheel drive..my friend who was accompanying said this is a common problem here…if any woman is alone, they openly ask to join them…

  12. Yesterday i happenned to see an article in RD august issue about sexual harassment in India…most of them are from law enforcing department….We are no better than russians…Men ( we ) are Men only be it russians or Indians…

  13. Sunder, I expect no better from Indian men. After all I am a woman and I should know it better. Sexual harassment is all pervading. But giving legal sanction to it is the issue at hand. Men will be men, no doubt about it. Thats the way it should be and women will be women too. But I don’t think ‘sexual harassment’ of this sort is part of being a man, perhaps only part of some men who are under the mistaken impression that this is what being a man is all about.

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