WCC condemns Kerala Government's stance on Hema Committee Report

Earlier, we reported that the Kerala High Court had stayed the release of the Hema Committee Report on the challenges faced by women in the film industry. In the latest development, the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) has criticised the Kerala government for failing to release the report.

In a statement issued on their social media handles on Thursday, following the court's extension of the stay till August 6, the WCC condemned the government’s inaction, despite an order from the State Information Commission (SIC) to release the report. The collective called for immediate government intervention to lift the stay on the report’s release, arguing that further delay amounts to a denial of justice and a violation of constitutional principles.

The collective emphasised that this legal standstill denies justice to all women in the film industry and stressed the government's responsibility to resolve the issue. The WCC also criticised other film organisations for their silence, arguing that they share equal responsibility and that their inaction is detrimental to the rights and interests of women in cinema. The collective added that these organisations needed to reconsider their stance to make the film industry a legitimate and equitable field of work.

The Justice Hema Committee report is expected to reveal information that could significantly impact prominent figures in the industry. The committee, led by former Justice K Hema, was formed in the aftermath of an incident of sexual assault on an actor in 2017. The report, submitted to the State government of Kerala five years ago, addresses sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Malayalam film industry. As per the SIC order issued on July 6, only information barred under the Right to Information Act and details impacting the privacy of those involved should be withheld.