Tarun Tejpal case: How social media has helped in bringing the case of Tehelka to the forefront

• November 26, 2013
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The following is the account of the reactions of Twitteratis on the incident where the publisher of Tehelka allegedly harassed one of his female colleagues.

NOVEMBER 20, 2013

7:02 PM (IST) Rahul Pandita is one of the first few to break the news.

Something really terrible has happened in Tehelka. Something really shameful.
— Rahul Pandita (@rahulpandita) November 20, 2013

8:10 PM Tarun Tejpal resigns. His resignation letter is made fun of.

Precis of Tejpal’s letter: Tehelka is great. I am sorry. I’ll sit at home for 6 months. Tehelka is great. Tehelka is great. Tehelka is great
— Sachin Kalbag (@SachinKalbag) November 20, 2013

Reliable sources say a senior person in Tehelka protested against the inaction. Maybe thats why there is atonement now, a week after
— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) November 20, 2013

8:47 PM Brand Tehelka begins to take the beating.

@dhanyarajendran How cool! They want to conceal such a serious issue inside the organisation, while they preach healthy journalism outside!
— Srijith Balakrishnan (@tweeted_now) November 20, 2013

8:50 PM “Why does Tehelka not have a Sexual Harassment Committee as the law requires?” asked Karuna Nundy, Advocate, Supreme Court of India; qualified Attorney in New York.

Nobody can be a judge on his own cause. Why does Tehelka not have a Sexual Harassment Committee as the law requires.
— Karuna Nundy (@karunanundy) November 20, 2013

The blame on Tehelka Management continues..

Tehelka’s senior editors are its biggest problem. Their choices, their perspective. It’s a magazine, folks, not the coming of Christ. — Rahul Bhatia (@rahulabhatia) November 20, 2013

Tehelka had employed the same kind of Taoism to the death of Tarun Sehrawat. Same words, same bullshit. No culpability. — Rahul Pandita (@rahulpandita) November 20, 2013

10:00 PM, Mainline media begins to pitch in.

Tehelka editor resigns: She wants Tehelka to set up committee to look into sexual harassment cases, journalist’s confidante tells NDTV — NDTV (@ndtv) November 20, 2013

With the news at its peak, Tehelka begins to stink.

Tehelka stinks … RT if you agree .. — Pawan Durani (@PawanDurani) November 20, 2013

Tehelka did a sting to show how sr cops in NCR think about RAPE. They should have done it on their own colleagues! http://t.co/3wvbB5r3yg — Raghunath AS (@asraghunath) November 20, 2013

12:00 AM Journalist fraternity begins to denounce

Any journalist/writer who maintains silence over the Tehelka episode is a coward, a party to the crime. — Rahul Pandita (@rahulpandita) November 20, 2013

NOVEMBER 21, 2013

“Dont contribute to Tehelka.”

If journalist are really outraged, then a very simply protest would be “Dont contribute to Tehelka.”
— Greatbong (@greatbong) November 20, 2013

4: 35 PM Shoma Chaudhury overtakes the centre stage.

Specially curious to see how Shoma Chaudhury handles the Tehelka scandal. So far, her actions have been far from satisfactory. #walkthewalk
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) November 21, 2013

NOVEMBER 22, 2013

Poster @ Tehelka. “You cannot change the truth. But, the truth can change you”. Very apt words! Pic: @Himanshu_Delhi pic.twitter.com/5PCmfvywVD — Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) November 22, 2013

At least, we’ll know how Women Journalists are maintaining there Jobs in Tehelka, “consensually”. — पियूष कुलश्रेष्ठ (@thinkerspad) November 22, 2013

NOVEMBER 22, 2013

Journalists at Tehelka begins to quit

Journos and writers who have so far quit Tehelka: Revati Laul, Jay Mazoomdar, Shougat Dasgupta, Ayesha Siddiqa. Some more expected by Monday
— Shivam Vij (@DilliDurAst) November 23, 2013

Fast forwarding the story

Rana Ayyub resigns

In view of the present controversy I thought it necessary to discontinue my association with tehelka. (cont)
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) November 26, 2013

However all is not gloomy

However I would always hold the iconic work done by tehelka in highest regard
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) November 26, 2013

With over 76 thousand mentions in the last 7 days, social media has indeed played a role in bringing the story to the fore.