Uproar on social media over sexist video report.
By Dileep Thekkethil
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An Assamese TV station had to bring down a controversial video report that called women “scantily clad” and “summertime nuisance” after protest loomed on social networking sites.
The report, which was broadcast on Pratidin Time, called women dressed in skirts as a nuisance who go against the local culture. The report, an exclusive of the TV channel, starts with the shot of a few monkeys wearing clothes, followed by women in short skirts. The voiceover in the background says even animals like to get dressed properly whereas some women like getting rid of it.
The controversial report was uploaded on YouTube back in May, but not until now did the video become a talking point, triggering widespread protest against the channel and the reporter who did it.
The channel was forced to delete the video from its YouTube channel. But some copies of the report are still available on YouTube and Facebook.
The video also shows footage of women and kids wearing short skirts and sexy pants with the Bollywood song “Kanta laga” playing in the background
The reporter can be heard saying in the video that wearing modern outfits such as short skirts and pants are against the Assamese culture and tradition. The three-minute video shows women dressed in modern outfit along with a scroll headline “Fashion means expose”.
The reporter Hemen Rajbongshi can be seen in the footage asking women about their opinion in wearing modern dresses such as skirts and pants. Most of those interviewed can be seen saying they had no problem wearing modern dress.
Many celebrities have come out openly criticizing the video. Bollywood actor Adil Hussain went a step further and filed a petition on Change.org, asking media houses to practice ethical journalism.
Rajbongshi was quoted by The Hindustan Times saying “My motive was not to disrespect women… If you go through the news, you will understand that I reported from a psychological point of view of our society. In April, renowned singer Zubilee Barua had to leave the stage during a Bihu function in Chandmari for refusing to dress in traditional attire as requested by the organizers earlier.”
Rajbongshi also added that he is not against wearing western dresses but it should be used in the right place at the right occasion.
On being asked about why he didn’t focus on men wearing similar attires, he replied: “After doing that report, I even met a psychiatrist. He told me that…when a man walks pass a girl wearing shorts, he doesn’t stimulate her… It’s opposite in a girl’s case.”
Khagen Kalita, the executive editor of Pratidin Time, said the editorial department should have edited the story and cautioned the reporter from doing such trivial reporting in the future.
“We have learned a lesson from the incident, but there is a section of the state media, which has misinterpreted the story. We ran stories on men wearing similar attires, but those were never highlighted,” Kalita said.
A few years back another reporter was detained by the police for allegedly stirring a mob against a woman who was later molested outside a Guwahati bar.
Following the protest Pratidin Time released a statement which says: “Pratidin Time had broadcast a particular news around one and a half months back that has come to our notice as being taken up by some people through social media to create an unnecessary stir. The news was presented based on certain widely discussed topics in Assam’s social and cultural spheres. The news was neither meant to insult nor disrespect anybody. If it has in any way, then the channel. ‘Pratidin Time’, is apologetic towards those concerned.”