It is time for Modi to react over #Metoo campaign

Bengaluru, Oct 11: Time is up for perverts who hid their dark persona under the garb of power, position, and influence. The list of culprits is growing day-by-day.

Tanushree Dutta's claim against Nana Patekar took not only tinsel town by storm but also media and politics. Her allegation against Nana Patekar after eight years of the alleged incident has opened floods gates of complaints against sexual harassment. Women are encouraging each other for taking names of molesters. The pent-up frustration, pain, and trauma are flooded on social media.

Notably, Subramanian Swamy and Maneka Gandhi have voiced their opinion in support of victims. Supporting #MeToo movement Swamy said that society should welcome women coming forth. Swamy further said that when women and men are working in the same environment there should be some fear among the men.

Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has said the allegations of sexual harassment against anybody should be taken seriously as women are often scared to speak out. Her reaction comes amid Union minister and former editor M.J. Akbar facing serious allegations of sexual harassment during his stint as a journalist.

PM Modi's much-awaited reaction:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is good at taking notice of small developments on social media, is yet to issue a statement on the hot topic. For instance, during his 'Mann Ki Baat' programme 28th June 2015, the PM Minister gave a clarion call to parents to share selfies with their daughters. He said that this was a concept originally mooted by a Sarpanch in Haryana, which caught his eye. Modi stated that this idea will give a big impetus to the Government's 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' initiative that seeks to educate more and more girls and improve the gender ratio in India.

So, his response is much awaited when his cabinet colleague is facing allegations. PM's deafening silence may not go down well with daughters of India when they are speaking against the humiliation on social media. His silence poses threat to his idea of 'Beti bachao, Beti Padhao'.

#MeToo is an urban movement:

In general, #MeToo movement has confined itself to urban areas. Mostly educated, working women have shown the courage to call out names. Thanks to social media, they have found a voice and stand united in 'naming and shaming' their perverts. However, what about rural women and socially backward women?

Just take a look at this data provided by NCRB. Assaults on women with the intent to outrage modesty, at 7.7% (3172 cases), reported the highest number of cases of crimes/atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs), followed by rape with 6.2% (2541 cases) during 2016.

Therefore, rural and Dalit women are yet to find a voice in this urban, social media-driven movement.