Following widespread criticism, Kerala CM says seriously looking into recommendations by Hema Committee

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said that his government is seriously looking into the recommendations put forth by Justice Hema Committee report which was released to the public on Monday, nearly five years after it was submitted to the government.

Addressing a press conference at Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayan said that the recommendations by the committee including the setting up of a tribunal and framing of a comprehensive Cinema Law are being considered by his government.

His remarks came after widespread criticism against the government for reportedly neglecting the findings of the report, which detailed systemic sexual harassment and discrimination against women in the Malayalam cinema industry. The report was presented to the government in December 2019, but no actions were taken regarding the findings of the report or the recommendations put forward by the committee.

The opposition has alleged that the government sat on the report to protect the preparators of abuse against women in cinema.

Accusing the CM of committing a criminal act by keeping the findings of the report confidential and not acting on it, Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan demanded the government to constitute a team of senior IPS officers to investigate the crimes detailed in the report and punish the guilty, irrespective of their wealth or social stature.

“The findings in the redacted report are shocking and a blot on the Malayalam film industry. Some instances of abuse warrant prosecution under the provisions of the POSCO. The report is just the iceberg’s tip,” The Hindu reported Satheesan as saying.

The report, prepared by a three member committee headed by Justice K Hema and made public on Monday revealed the existence of criminal groups which control the whole Malayalam cinema industry. The report also brought to light distressing details about widespread sexual exploitation of women in the industry and the impunity enjoyed by the males who commit these crimes.