Prominent members of civil society have urged Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to act upon the recommendations of the Justice Hema Committee on sexual atrocities against women in the Malayalam film industry at a time several actors have been booked for sexual offences.

The 52 signatories to the letter to Vijayan include authors Arundhati Roy, K.R. Meera and N.S. Madhavan; film personalities such as Aparna Sen, Prakash Raj, Swara Bhasker and Onir; musician T.M. Krishna; academics Nivedita Menon and Ira Bhaskar; and activists Anjali Gopalan and Aleyamma Vijayan.

“It is unfortunate that the same government delayed publishing the committee’s report for five years after it was submitted in December 2019…. The only government action that has followed the release of the report on August 19 is the setting up of a Special Investigation Team to look into the allegations.... This move has given a further impetus to the media’s selective coverage,” they said.

They asked the government to ensure the safety of women who have spoken to the committee and in public about their experiences. “There is an urgent need for the Government of Kerala to draft a policy and/or law/s that will address the multiple issues identified by the Hema Committee and the related representations made by WCC (Women in Cinema Collective) over the years,” the letter said.