BBC accused of discrimination against Dalit journalist

BBC accused of discrimination against Dalit journalist: NYT report claims – Woman journalist was insulted, the company rejects

Mar 7, 2023 - 14:33
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BBC accused of discrimination against Dalit journalist

America's news website The New York Times (NYT) published an article on journalist Meena Kotwal on Monday. This article talks about his success, and how he started a news outlet and told real stories from marginalized communities.
Meena, who belongs to the Dalit community, shared her experiences while working for BBC in the article. Meena said that when she worked at the BBC, she allegedly faced public humiliation and discrimination during this period. However, the BBC has rejected Meena's allegation outright.
According to the NYT report, Meena is currently the founder of the news portal 'The Mooknayak'. She wanted to start an outlet that focused on marginalized communities. The woman journalist believed that there are lakhs of people in the country whose stories need to be brought before the world. He started working for BBC Hindi in 2017. During this, he had to face public humiliation and discrimination. This was the reason that his journey with BBC did not last long.
According to reports, some upper-caste people in the office forced Meena to make her caste public. He was even told that Dalits no longer exist in modern India. Meena also complained about this to her boss, but the boss also refused to accept all her words.
NYT wrote in its article that after two years in BBC Hindi when he complained to BBC London officials, he was told that his contract was not renewed. After this, his complaint was dismissed. According to the report, Meena's complaint was not only dismissed but the existence of her community was also denied.
According to the report, the company reviewed her claims of discrimination and ruled that her complaints had no merit. The New York Times said in its report that his contract was about to expire soon, and was not renewed.
When The New York Times contacted the BBC for clarification on the incident, the company declined to provide details. The company said that it does not discuss the matter of its personal employees and fully abides by Indian law.
A BBC spokeswoman in London told the New York Times: "We know there is always a lot to do in a global organization, but we are making significant progress in the diversity of the people we work with."

Muskan Kumawat Journalist & Writer