THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In spite of the High Court rejecting a petition seeking to prevent making public the Hema Committee report, which looked into harassment faced by women in Malayalam cinema, the government has decided to buy more time in view of another petition pending before the High Court. The information officer of the cultural affairs department, who has been entrusted with the task of releasing the report, will take a decision on whether to release the same or not only on Monday after the High Court considers a petition filed by actor Renjini.
Though the information officer had earlier informed the petitioners who had applied for the report under Right to Information Act that it would be provided on Saturday after removing certain sections, on Saturday morning the official informed the applicants that the report would not be released till the High Court considers the petition.
The information officer’s decision has sparked controversy as there was criticism against the government for allegedly delaying release of the report.
However, Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian refuted the charges and said that the department had no role in the release of the report. It has been four-and-a-half years since the committee submitted the report to the state government on December 31, 2019.
The decision to hold the report for a day has been taken given the new petition filed by actor Renjini seeking more time for the release of the report.
According to sources in the cultural affairs department, the information officer has been asked to release the report before Tuesday. “The High Court will consider the petition on Monday. Hence, a decision will be taken after taking into consideration the court’s view”, an official told TNIE.
However, the applicants and those in favour of releasing the report alleged that the court had not stayed its earlier order allowing the release of the report. They also suspect intervention from some quarters to sabotage the release of the report. State Women’s Commission chairperson P Sathidevi has also demanded that the report should be released soon. “The report should be made available not only for the film fraternity but also for the public”, she said.
Meanwhile, actor Renjini told media that though she was in favour of releasing the report, she wants to see the report first, so as to verify the statements given to the Hema Committee. “It is my right to verify the report. Every individual who has given statement has the right to see the report and its recommendations before releasing it. We want a tribunal in the film industry. Organisations like AMMA have no role in the matter. We have waited for five years. Why can’t we wait for another week. I thought the Women’s Commission would interfere and verify the report. However, it didn’t,” she said.
Meanwhile, Minister Saji Cherian told TNIE that it was the State Information Commissioner who authorised the information officer to release the report. “There is no role for the state government to play. The High Court has instructed to release the report,” he said.
