Woman IAS officer takes on magazine for sexist piece
(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Responding to the magazines regret note carried on its website Smita said: I dont treat this as an apology.
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Hyderabad — The bureaucracy in Telangana and indeed the state government has thrown its weight behind Smita Sabharwhal a popular IAS officers serving as additional secretary to Telangana chief minister K Chandrsaekhar Rao who shot off a defamation notice against the English weekly magazine Outlook for carrying a “slanderous and sexist” piece on her.
The magazine in its July 6 issue had carried a snippet under the title ‘No boring Babu” in its column Deep Throat wherein it said that the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer was known to make “fashion statements with her lovely saris at every meeting” and that “she serves as an eye candy” on such occasions.
To make matters worse the column also featured a cartoon showing Smita walking the ramp with KCR (as the chief minister is known) clicking pictures of her while other politicians cheered her on.
“The portfolio of a junior bureaucrat who is posted in the Telan-gana CM’s office is a mystery. She used to be posted in a district earlier. But things changed all of a sudden after the elect-ions. The lady is present at every meeting and seen in almost every official photograph sent out by the CMO” the supposedly satirical piece said.
The snippet which focused on Smita’s looks attire and sudden stardom in bureaucratic circles read: “The lovely lady known for her ethnic style recently stunned all by appearing in a trendy trouser and frilly top at a fashion show. And for once she wasn’t sitting in an official meeting. But this appearance too made for a great photo op.”
Following the strong reaction from bureaucratic circles and public outrage in social media platforms Outlook withdrew the piece and expressed regrets which however has been rejected by the Indian Administrative Service officer. “Even though it did not cite names or specifics newspapers TV news channels and websites have carried news of a legal notice purportedly issued by a bureaucrat in TS.
However Outlook is still to receive it 36 hours since the media blitz was launched” the magazine said adding: “Outlook wishes to clarify that the said piece was part of a satire carried in the magazine in the usual course was not intended to be derisive or derogatory and was meant to be received in a lighter vein. That said being conscious of sensitivities Outlook has taken down the satirical piece. Outlook expresses regret if any offence has been taken.”
The magazine went on to claims that its correspondent in Hyderabad was being subjected to vile and personal attacks and her physical safety has been threatened.
Responding to the magazine’s regret note carried on its website Smita said: “I don’t treat this as an apology. It is nothing close to the apology I have sought. They cannot tarnish the image and tender regrets in this manner. Legal action will continue.”
Stating that her lawyer Rachna Reddy Bollu had sent a legal notice to Outlook Magazine India and its Hyderabad office the IAS officer belonging to the 2001 batch said the article was disgusting and had hurt her deeply.
“I am an IAS officer and have risen to this level through hard work. I handle responsible and confidential jobs and they can’t make it look so trivial. It was distasteful and cheap. It was very personal” she said.
The legal notice demanding a public apology stated that Smita was “utterly flabbergasted shell-shocked angry and extremely disturbed by the completely baseless slanderous defamatory distasteful article and intentional vilification campaign.”
“The public apology cannot be a non-descript formal apology in a tiny section of the magazine but a detailed apology that meets the outrage and hurt that her client has been subjected to including addressing issues of female professional and Outlook’s sexist attitude” the legal notice said.
While the bureaucracy has expectedly thrown its weight behind Smita in her legal battle against “Outlook” KCR too is reported to have taken a serious view of the article and has sought action.
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