Reports have come of another former employee of The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) levelling charges of sexual harassment against R K Pachauri, who has recently been promoted as executive vice-chairman. His elevation came as a rude shock to all who have followed the sleazy happenings at the premier institution. It was surprising that Teri’s governing council promoted a person who is on bail and can go abroad only after getting a specific clearance by the court. Before he was promoted, he was able to ensure that the employee, who first raised the charges of sexual harassment against him with proof, was smoked out of Teri.
It now transpires that Pachauri has been in control of the Teri management even when internal proceedings were initiated to verify the charges. The inquiry reportedly found him guilty. One of the governing body members, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, resigned from its highest decision-making body owning moral responsibility for what happened. She would not have quit but for concrete evidence against him. The very fact that Pachauri quit from the leadership of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change soon after the charges appeared in the public domain was a pointer to his guilt. It is simply logical to ask why when he found it necessary to resign from his international job, he found it rational to seek and obtain a promotion in India. What is clear is that the governing council has behaved as if it did not have a mind of its own. This reflects the control he exercised over the organisation.
Given this backdrop, the 20 students who have refused to accept their degrees from Pachauri, who is Chancellor, when the convocation of Teri University is held shortly cannot be blamed for their decision. They have showed a greater sense of responsibility and ethical conduct than the council members. It is now as clear as daylight how much power he must have used against the hapless woman who stood up against his misconduct. Given his clout in politics, media, police and the bureaucracy it would not be difficult for him to turn the tables against the victims who showed great courage in protesting against his behaviour. The tragedy would be even greater if Pachauri’s elevation encouraged similarly-placed perverts to brazen it out and victims of sexual harassment to fear challenging them.