Mumbai: Producer and writer Vinta Nanda, who has accused Alok Nath of sexually abusing her almost 20 years ago, has opened up about the MeToo movement and how Tanushree Dutta case has encouraged her to speak up.
Speaking to ANI, she said, "I was motivated by Tanushree, seeing her speaking up I felt that I should also speak. Women, girls, and journalists who are speaking up against their predators, I have great admiration for them. If these girls hadn't come out in public, I wouldn't have gathered the guts to come out and speak up about it today."
She also explained how the environment has changed now and has become more favorable for the females. "The environment is very enabling now, it wasn't like this before, when I talked about it before, they told me to not talk about it. They said talking about it, you are harming yourself, even after that I gave an interview and told the whole story... When I posted about it today, the whole media and people of India took notice of it.
"Talking about how she feels fearless after letting it out, Nanda said, "He did not deny it even in 2003, 2004 and 2005 when I had talked, written about it and published it. So he is not in any position to deny it today. Now I am feeling fearless and he is feeling scared.
"Expressing how MeToo movement has helped the victims to speak up, the writer noted, "MeToo campaign has given the freedom to the victims to speak up. It is very motivating and it will help more females to come out and talk about it, they will get the confidence."
On being asked about her next course of action, she added, "Now that it has started it has to be taken to a logical end and I don`t know what will happen next. I am feeling free and fearless now. Media and everyone else has supported me."
Nanda concluded saying, "Social media has helped me to speak up today, I stay connected with the world with the help of facebook and twitter, and that`s how I could put my opinion forward every day and that`s how I'm standing in front of you today."
The #MeToo movement gained momentum in India after Tanushree Dutta spoke up against Nana Patekar almost two weeks ago. Following the revelation, many more such cases have come into the light. Filmmaker Vikas Bahl, among many others, has also been outed as alleged predators.
