Rape charges against TV actor Karan Oberoi by his long time partner has once again rekindled the memories of public and media to #Me Too movement. However, there’s one change this time. A large number of members of artist fraternity, friends and others knowing Karan have openly come out in his support, The high point of this seemingly anti Me Too campaign is maverick Pooja Bedi’s assertion that men too have their reputations to protect and this blog owes its title to Pooja Bedi using this term Men Too as a movement as an antithesis of Me Too.
When two legally adult, matured, educated and intelligent people meet, the choice is completely with them as to the direction and extent they want their relationship to take. The relationship can lead to financial, physical and emotional gratification, with or without underlying commitment or understanding. Sometimes certain things can happen unexpectedly at the spur of the moment. But after years of togetherness and relationship, calling the same a rape or suffering should the things go sour subsequently is incomprehensible.
Is verbal contract a bona fide contract? Can it be termed as contract made in a free state of mind without any pressure or coercion? All this is for law to see and I am sure more often than not impartial judicial system is able to dispense justice , but are the matters of heart and conscious required to be judged by legal standards? The bigger question is should the promises of love, care and lifelong camaraderie be treated like legal contracts? My only worry is that such instances may dilute the gravity of the sin that a rapist perpetrates on an innocent victim for people at large may start treating all such cases as an extension of #Me Too. Second of course is the new perspective by Pooja Bedi that says # Men Too! After all, men too suffer when such things raise their ugly head years after the incident.
Me Too and Men Too between them should not lead to public apathy of reprehensible crime that rape is!
Arvind Arya blog 