JP Nadda Questions Kerala Government on Delay in Justice for Malayalam Film Industry Victims
Palakkad (Kerala) [India], September 1: Union Minister and BJP National President JP Nadda on Sunday questioned the Kerala government for delaying justice to the victims of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry after the Hema Committee report. He alleged that leaders from the Communist Party are involved in the matter.
The Union Health Minister was interacting with eminent personalities from various fields in Palakkad, Kerala. He said, “Why delay in justice to the Hema Committee report? What is stopping them (the Kerala government)? What is haunting you? Because you are part and parcel of that…it is something you want to hide because your people are involved…I am very sorry to say that the Hema Committee report very specifically said that Communist party leaders are involved. The Chief Minister should come out and tell what really happened.”
Last month, a redacted version of the Justice Hema Committee report on harassment faced by women in the Malayalam cinema industry was made public. It contains shocking accounts alleging harassment, exploitation, and ill-treatment of women professionals. The 235-page report, published after redacting the names of witnesses and the accused, notes that the Malayalam film industry is controlled by about 10 to 15 male producers, directors, and actors who dominate and exert control over the industry.
The report of the three-member panel, headed by a former judge of the Kerala High Court and set up by the state government in 2017, was submitted to the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government in December 2019, but was made public only this month. Following the report, actor Mohanlal resigned as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) in the wake of the Justice Hema Committee report and sexual harassment allegations faced by some members of the executive committee.
On August 25, the Kerala government announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the case.
Doubts Revealed
JP Nadda -: JP Nadda is a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is one of the major political parties in India. He is currently the National President of the BJP.
Kerala government -: The Kerala government is the governing body of the Indian state of Kerala. It is responsible for making and enforcing laws in the state.
Malayalam film industry -: The Malayalam film industry, also known as Mollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to producing movies in the Malayalam language, which is spoken in Kerala.
Hema Committee report -: The Hema Committee report is a document created by a committee led by Justice Hema. It investigates and details cases of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry.
Communist Party -: The Communist Party is a political party in India that follows the principles of communism. In Kerala, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is a major political force.
Mohanlal -: Mohanlal is a famous actor in the Malayalam film industry. He was the president of AMMA, an association for Malayalam movie artists, but resigned after the Hema Committee report.
AMMA -: AMMA stands for Association of Malayalam Movie Artists. It is an organization that represents actors and other professionals in the Malayalam film industry.
special investigation team -: A special investigation team is a group of police officers and experts set up to investigate a specific case. In this context, it is formed to look into the harassment cases in the Malayalam film industry.
