Journalists get the stick

At a time gender issues are getting the attention they deserve, patriarchy still rules the roost in some spheres of public life.

The latter sentiment manifested itself at Sabrimala with an India Today journalist being hustled, beaten, and pelted with stones while she was reporting on the protests near the temple.

Her hair and dupatta were pulled and at one point she feared for her life. Her cameraperson, Sanjay, was also attacked, reports India Today’s news portal.

The protestors were agitated as they felt some television channels were biased in their coverage. There were also rumours that some women devotees were trying to go to the temple in the guise of journalists.

Republic TV said its reporter Pooja Prasanna was surrounded by a 100-strong mob. Saritha S Balan of ‘The News Minute’ was "kicked on her spine" by a protestor, the website said. NDTV reporter Sneha Mary Koshy and cameraperson SP Babu were stopped from covering the protests midway. Their camera was snatched and they were asked to leave. The crew from CNN-News 18 and Aaj Tak was also attacked.

The anti-women protesters surrounded the car in which News18’s reporter Radhika Ramaswamy was travelling and abused her verbally, asking her to turn back. Even as cops at the spot looked on, more protesters joined in. They tried to pull her out, attacked the car, broke the window panes and hit the vehicles with sticks. The goons also vandalised the camera equipment that the crew was carrying, the television channel’s news portal said. Recounting the horror, Radhika said that there were “2-3 cops when the incident happened. I was calling out for help and the police did not stop the mob.”She said the protesters continued to attack even after she told them they would turn back.