KOCHI: Writer T Padmanabhan has criticised the state government’s decision to appoint a committee instead of a commission to address the challenges faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. At an event held to discuss the ‘Hema Committee report and Malayalam Cinema’ in Kochi on Thursday, Padmanabhan noted that a commission would have had the power to take legal action against those responsible, whereas the committee lacks this authority.
“If it becomes a committee, it can only give a report. Those who appointed the committee may or may not take action. The government was sitting on the report for four and a half years,” he said. The government cannot support the predators and the prey at the same time. “The minister for cultural affairs says that he neither saw the Hema committee report, nor opened and read it. What an ‘innocent’ statement was that?” he questioned.
He also questioned the effectiveness of the committee. “More than Rs 1 crore was spent for the proceedings of the three-member committee. It should have taken the issues more seriously and studied them. The government claims they are with the victims. However, that is not the fact. Many ‘whales’ are yet to come out. The government’s indifference can only protect them,” he emphasised.
Ernakulam district congress committee president Muhammed Shiyas. MLA Uma Thomas and Adv Shivan Madathil also spoke at the event organised at Sabarmati Study Centre.