THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after the Hema Committee findings, revealing sexual harassment and the presence of casting couch in the Malayalam film industry, were released, the Left government on Tuesday found itself under pressure for sitting on the report, which contained allegations of criminal offence, for nearly five years. Both the Opposition UDF as well as the BJP targeted Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian for his alleged inaction on the report.
On Tuesday, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan urged the government to register a case based on the revelations, while state Congress president K Sudhakaran accused the LDF regime of sheltering perpetrators of criminal offences. A host of senior Congress leaders, including MP Shashi Tharoor and K Muraleedharan, too, questioned the government for sitting on the report for such a long time. Senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan demanded that Cherian step down.
However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan defended his government, saying some of the panel’s recommendations had already been implemented. He also said contents of the report were not divulged on specific request of the panel. On the Opposition’s charges of not registering cases against those responsible, Pinarayi said stringent action will be taken if any woman who gave a statement before the committee, comes forward with a complaint.
AIYF, DYFI urge govt to take action
A slew of prominent persons from socio-political and cultural spheres, including filmmaker Beena Paul, demanded concrete measures to address the issues of harassment in cinema. Senior CPM leader K K Shailaja termed the revelations shocking, and said the government will examine the report and take further action.
Mounting further pressure on the government, Left youth organisations DYFI and AIYF too urged the government to take action on the report. In a letter to the CM, AIYF state president N Arun and secretary T T Jismon said the report shows that women in the film industry go through unparalleled insecurity and hardships.
“The report says a miniscule percentage of individuals sexually exploit women in the industry. The report endorses complaints of ban against some directors, actors and technicians,” they said in the letter, while urging the government to set up a special tribunal to address the issues.
GANESH UNDER FIRE
A section of people in the film industry alleged that actor and Minister K B Ganesh Kumar was part of the “all-male power group”, which, as per the report, controlled the industry. Director Vinayan and actor Shammi Thilakan pointed fingers at Ganesh as one of those who banned actors. While Governor Arif Mohammed Khan urged the government to look into the matter, Ganesh rejected the charges.