Guidelines For Employers

Article 21 of the Indian Constitution states, “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to the procedure established by law.”  Courts in India interpret this broadly to safeguard the ambit of Fundamental Rights in the Constitution. Keeping these legal provisions aside for a brief moment, here is an incident that is from real life. Many years ago, a highly respected lecturer in a university in Kerala, alleged sexual harassment by her colleague while they were traveling in an overcrowded bus. She filed the complaint against her colleague, who had clout with the trade unions. The result was that she was suspended from service without an inquiry. She became a joke among lecturers and students. Her family could not support her morally. No one supported her. No one wanted any links with her because her reputation had been torn to shreds. The colleagues she had once relied on branded her as a woman who had been desperately seeking attention from male colleagues. Alone, she fought her case in court for more than ten years and yes, she won. The gist of this story is that in real life, if you want to fight a case alleging sexual harassment at the workplace, be prepared for a long battle and remember, you may have to fight it all by yourself.