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From lawyers to B-town, #MeToo gets strong support from all quarters (Roundup)
New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS) From two Mumbai-based lawyers volunteering to provide legal aid to victims of sexual harassment and assault, to Bollywood personalities like Swara Bhasker and Malaika Arora coming out in the open to support women who have shared their experiences, the current #MeToo wave in India refuses to die down anytime soon.
Lawyers Mrunalini Deshmukh and Vaibhav Krishnan have volunteered to provide legal aid to victims without charging any fee. Not only this, the Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) has issued notices to all the directors who have been named by women for sexual harassment or assault.
IFTDA President Ashoke Pandit said notices had been sent to the accused filmmakers, including Sajid Khan and Vikas Bahl, seeking their response within ten days. If they do not respond, their names would be placed on the ‘non-cooperation’ list, following which the women could approach the two lawyers who have come forward to provide legal help, he added.
The #MeToo movement began a year ago in Hollywood after The New York Times and The New Yorker published several stories about decades-long predation of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
However, it gained momentum in India after Tanushree Dutta recently accused veteran actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment. Following her revelation, accusations are being made against some powerful personalities in the media and the entertainment industry, including Sajid Khan, Alok Nath and Vikas Bahl.
In an interview, Malaika said that if “women are coming forward and talking about their stories, it’s the biggest thing to happen.”
Swara, on the sidelines of the Lotus Make-Up India Fashion Week (LMIFW), said that the “#MeToo movement was a long time pending in India and it’s good that it has finally come out”.
“Kudos goes to all the women who are braving their past trauma and re-living it and claiming their own stories with their own names,” she added.
Actor Fardeen Khan has come forward to support the #MeToo campaign by saying that women who are accusing men of sexual harassment deserve the benefit of doubt. However, he said proper investigation needs to be done as it can destroy the career and life of an individual.
While many came out in support, there are some who emphasized on proper investigation so that no innocent is targeted.
While Hrithik Roshan has urged the producers of his upcoming film “Super 30” to take a “hard stand” amid sexual harassment allegations against the movie’s director Vikas Bahl, the actor’s ex-wife Sussanne Khan has taken a neutral stance by saying that women shouldn’t make false allegations about an individual without any legal evidence.
While supporting all the brave women who have spoken out against their perpetrators, jewellery designer Farah Khan wants just the truth to be stated with no exaggerations as some may try to misuse it.
Bahl’s ex wife Richa Dubey came out in support of the filmmaker and slammed actress Kangana Ranaut for saying that the “Queen” director used to ‘bury his face in her neck’ and “hold her really tight”.
Dubey took to Twitter on Friday and questioned Kangana, who has worked with Bahl in “Queen”, on why she continued to have a good friendship with the filmmaker despite his inappropriate actions.
Bahl was accused by a woman, who was a previous Phantom Films employee, of sexually harassing her repeatedly after the first incident in 2015 in Goa.
After that, Kangana came out in support of the allegations against Bahl.
Dubey slammed the actress, saying “this is not a #MeToo, but a meme”.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.