Prakash Raj, Swara Bhasker, and 70 others urge Kerala CM to enact a law addressing concerns raised by Hema Committee

Swara Bhasker, Prakash Raj Pic/AFP

In a joint appeal, 72 prominent personalities, including author Arundhati Roy, have urged the Kerala Chief Minister to enact a law addressing concerns raised by the Justice K Hema Committee report on sexual atrocities against women in the film field.

The signatories to the appeal include Supreme Court advocates Indira Jaisingh and Vrinda Grover, actors Aparna Sen, Prakash Raj, Swara Bhasker, musician T M Krishna, a few retired bureaucrats, and several journalists who have sought a "360-degree approach" from the state government to achieve the objectives for which the committee was set up.

In their letter to the CM, the concerns they have highlighted include the "inordinate focus on the sexual misdemeanours and crimes mentioned in the report" and the "virtual exclusion" of issues like the working conditions in the film industry, lack of contracts, pay disparities, etc. which also find mention the panel's findings.
One of the signatories, T M Krishna, in a post on social media platform Instagram, expressed solidarity with women in Malayalam cinema and urged the state government to take immediate action on the committee's report.

"Standing in solidarity with women in Malayalam cinema, we urge the Kerala government to take immediate action on the Hema Committee Report, addressing not just sexual harassment, but also wage disparity, poor working conditions, and systemic inequality in the industry," he said.

The signatories, in their joint letter to Vijayan, said that the setting up of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the allegations being made by women about their experiences of sexual harassment and violence in the industry "has given a further impetus to the media's selective coverage".

"The inevitable implication of such selectiveness is that addressing the underlying causes of violence ¿ namely, inequality and discrimination ¿ is less important than the violence itself.

"Further, the government has made no effort to sensitise the media and public to the possibility that women with legitimate complaints of crimes may not necessarily wish to explore legal options for multiple, completely acceptable reasons," they said.

They further said that in the absence of such sensitisation, the present atmosphere in the state was veering towards doubting the allegations of any woman who opts not to file a police complaint after going public with her grievances.

Additionally, women who shared their stories with the public and media are facing extreme pressure from the police to lodge official complaints, they said in the letter.

This is a deeply disturbing development. In all cases of sexual crimes, a survivor's agency and mental health must be prioritised above all else. The government must strictly instruct the police and the SIT to not bulldoze women, to treat them with consideration, and to act in their best interests, they said.

They said that in these circumstances, women who have come out with allegations should be allowed to decide how they wish to proceed with their individual experiences in the aftermath of the report's release.

It further said that the state government should also "invest in an awareness-building programme to sensitise the public and media", so that "testimonies" by women who suffered sexual exploitation are not doubted just because they cannot or do not wish to fight long-drawn-out cases.

"The aim of such a programme should be to make certain that women who decide not to explore legal options are not discredited in public or humiliated, which is the direction that we worry the discourse in the state will take in the absence of a well-thought-out intervention.

"The government must offer counselling to all women who speak out, irrespective of the path they choose. Such counselling would help them to deal with the mental health issues that result from sexual harassment and violence," they said in the letter.

They also said that the government should also look into the other important issues, like the absence of written contracts, wage discrimination and poor working conditions, such as non-provision of secure, private toilets and dressing rooms as well as safe accommodation and transportation, highlighted in the report.

"It must take steps to remedy the situation through systemic reform of the industry in keeping with the many detailed recommendations of the committee. The government must also ensure the safety of women who have spoken to the committee and in public about their experiences.

"This must include - we repeat, because it cannot be emphasised enough - an assurance that they will not be bullied into filing police complaints if they do not wish to do so," they said.