CHENNAI: Those proven guilty of sexual offences in the Tamil film industry will now have to face a five-year ban from films. This was one of the seven resolutions unanimously adopted by the South Indian Artistes Association’s (SIAA) Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee (GSICC) on Wednesday.
The meeting comes in the wake of tremors set off by the Justice Hema Committee Report in the Malayalam film industry. SIAA (also known as Nadigar Sangam) General Secretary Vishal on August 29 said that a panel similar to that of the Hema committee will be constituted by the SIAA itself within 10 days to crack the whip on incidents of sexual harassment in the industry.
Other resolutions adopted include setting up an e-mail ID to report offences, launching a helpline number to report offences, providing legal support for victims, and providing support to members who lodge complaints with cybercrime police against YouTubers over slanderous comments.
One of the resolutions urged members to bring incidents of sexual misconduct to the notice of the committee first. It was also decided in the meeting to first issue a warning to the accused persons, and then initiate strict action. Wednesday’s meeting was held in the presence of SIAA’s president Nasser, treasurer Karthi, and vice president Poochi Murugan.