Govt did not sit on Hema Committee report, gave it utmost importance: CM Vijayan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday refuted the allegations that his government sat on the Justice Hema Committee report for over four years and said it has given utmost importance to the implementation of the recommendations by the panel.

He said the police have always taken action whenever complaints in connection with the film industry are received and assured that the unconditional support of the government was with the victims.

Vijayan also assured that the state government will take appropriate action against the "predators" in the film industry.

"Any person who has committed a crime will be brought before the law no matter how high they are. No one should have any doubt about it," he emphasised.

Vijayan's remarks came at a press conference here in response to allegations against the Left government by the opposition parties for its silence and inaction over the past four years, despite receiving the report.

The CM was also responding to reporters' queries on why the findings of the committee were not disclosed till now and why no police action was taken based on the panel's report which has recorded explosive accounts of harassment, exploitation and ill-treatment of female professionals in the film industry and alleged that a "criminal gang" was controlling the industry where unyielding women are squeezed out.

Vijayan said the government was never opposed to the release of the report.

He said that the committee was formed in 2017, the first of its kind in the country, to study the issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality faced by women in the Malayalam film industry following the actress assault case of the same year involving actor Dileep and the panel's report was received in December 2019.

However, in February 2020, Justice Hema herself requested in writing that the report not be made public as it contains references affecting the privacy of many people, he added.

As a result, the public information officer of the Culture Department rejected the requests, under the Right to Information Act, for a copy of the report, saying that it would violate the privacy of many individuals.

After several individuals moved the State Information Commission seeking a copy of the report, the commission in July this year directed the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) to disclose the findings after redacting certain portions which may affect the privacy of individuals, the CM said.

"But, a producer opposed the release of the report by approaching the Kerala High Court, which initially stayed the publication of the findings. Later it dismissed the plea and allowed the report to be made public. Then, an actress moved the High Court seeking to put the release on hold.

"The report came out yesterday only after all the legal hurdles were removed."

Regarding the allegations of inaction by the government, the CM said that his administration has done all it can and will continue to do so.

"All kinds of illegal and anti-women tendencies in the film industry will be strongly tackled," he said.

He further said that the committee never recommended that the matters discussed in the report should be investigated by registering cases.

However, no matter raised in the film industry, including the incident where an actress was attacked in her vehicle in 2017, has gone without legal action. The police have registered cases and investigated the complaints filed by the actresses on harassment allegations.

The CM further said that if any of the women who gave statements to the committee come forward to lodge a complaint, there will be appropriate intervention from the government.

He affirmed that the government has given utmost importance to implementing the recommendations of the committee and it has already identified issues that needed to be considered urgently and resolved, and the suggestions which require detailed deliberations before being implemented.

Vijayan said the government has ensured the formation of an internal compliance committee in the film industry with utmost urgency as it was a major need of the women working there.

The government has also taken steps to implement recommendations like encouraging films with women as directors and technicians, setting up a judicial tribunal to resolve disputes and prevent exploitation in the field of cinema and bringing about a comprehensive cinema policy.

Other recommendations like curbing use of alcohol and drugs as well as sexual violence can be addressed by the law enforcement agencies which are carrying out necessary interventions, the CM said.

"All these and other issues in the film industry will be discussed in the conclave we plan to hold soon."

Vijayan said that Malayalam cinema cannot move forward if it does not ensure decent behavior and a better working environment and therefore, organisations in the industry should take the initiative to question the undesirable trends within the film sector and ensure decent wages for the work undertaken.

Talented actors should not be isolated or denied opportunities as part of lobbying. Cinema should not be ruled by groups or caucuses.

"Exploitation in the film, whether it is sexual exploitation, financial or psychological exploitation, the government is not with the exploiters, but with the exploited," he added.