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Kannada actor demands Justice Hema committee-like panel for Sandalwood, delegation meets CM Siddaramaiah
Justice Hema's committee report, which was out in August, revealed that the women workers in the Malayalam film industry faced sexual harassment.
Kannada actor Chetan Kumar demanded a Justice Hema committee-like panel for the Kannada film industry to address gender-based issues in Sandalwood. He, along with a delegation, met Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and stressed that there must be a platform for women in the cinema industry to express their discrimination.
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Speaking to news agency ANI, Chetan Kumar said, “There is a need to address the discrimination against women in the Kannada film industry. We met chief minister Siddaramaiah and he responded swiftly towards our demand. He enquired if the situation in Kannada film industry is comparable to what is happening in Kerala and he assured a longer meeting in the future to discuss it.”
Chetan Kumar also expressed confidence in getting a panel similar to the Justice Hema committee in Kerala. “We believe in the Siddaramaiah government, and we hope it will pass a committee report similar to the Kerala government. It's not that the Kerala government is a better government than the Karnataka government. We believe that anybody who fights for the rights of human beings and women in deprived sections should get support from the government,” he said.
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Earlier, 153 people from the Kannada film industry, including top actors like Kichcha Sudeep and Ramya, wrote a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging him to investigate the matter. In the letter, they also requested the CM appoint a committee led by a retired judge to address the issue.
They demanded the government to conduct a thorough investigation into the systematic issues faced by women in KFI, including sexual harassment and recommend policies to ensure a healthy, equitable work environment for all women in the industry.
Justice Hema's committee report, which was out in August, revealed that the women workers in the Malayalam film industry faced sexual harassment. Though the report did not reveal any names, the report said women were being asked to make sure “adjustments” and “compromises”- euphemisms for sexual favours, to secure or retain opportunities.
