- By Ridhi Suri
- Wed, 21 Aug 2024 10:53 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
The release of the Hema Committee report on sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry has sparked a major reaction. Published on August 19, 2024, the 235-page document reveals 17 forms of exploitation women face, including issues such as pay disparity, threats of rape, and unwanted sexual advances. This committee was formed in response to the 2017 sexual assault of a female Malayalam actor in Kochi, with actor Dileep among the accused. The report has ignited considerable debate within the industry.
Tanushree Dutta, a prominent figure in India’s #MeToo movement who drew widespread attention in 2018 with her sexual misconduct allegations against actor Nana Patekar on the set of Horn Ok Pleassss, has elicited strong reactions from figures in Mollywood, including actors Revathy and Ranjini.
To News18, Tanushree Dutta, expressed her frustration, stressing, "These committees and reports, I don’t understand them. I think they’re useless. It took them seven years to make a report on what happened in 2017?"
She critiques the Hema Committee by referencing the Vishakha Committee (formerly the Women’s Grievances Committee), which was established to address workplace sexual harassment. She questions the value of the new report, stating "What’s the point of this new report anyway? All they had to do was arrest the accused and enforce a strong law and order system. I remember hearing about the Vishakha Committee, which came up with so many guidelines and prepared pages and pages of reports, but what happened after that? The names of the committees just keep changing."
"People like Nana and Dileep are narcissistic psychopaths. There’s no cure for them. Only a vicious and vengeful man can do what they did. I don’t care about these committees. I have no trust in this system. It feels like with these reports and committees, they’re just wasting our time rather than doing the real work. Having a safe workplace is a basic right for a woman—or any human being, for that matter," she added.
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Meanwhile, the #MeToo movement gained momentum in India following Dutta’s revelations, prompting other women to come forward with their own stories of harassment and abuse. Despite the intense public and media scrutiny, the legal proceedings and investigations into the case faced several delays and challenges. The case highlighted ongoing issues in the Indian legal and social systems regarding handling sexual harassment complaints and protecting victims' rights.