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Kalakshetra prof held in sexual harassment case
A senior instructor at Kalakshetra foundation, Hari Padman was arrested over a complaint filed by an alumna on Friday that he sexually harassed her when she was a student at the storied dance school run by the foundation.
The Chennai police on Monday arrested Hari Padman, a senior instructor at Kalakshetra Foundation, on a complaint filed by an alumna on Friday that he sexually harassed her when she was a student at the storied dance school run by it, even as students who protesting over inaction on sexual harassment complaints said the governing board has agreed to consider dismissing three of the instructors involved, Sanjith Lal, Sai Krishnan, and Sreenath, and suspend Padman.
Director Revathi Ramachandran, who is also a member of the governing board, did not respond to HT’s calls and messages.
Padman was the first to be accused for several months by students of the Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts (in the Kalakshetra campus) but the foundation sought to dismiss their claims. They began protesting on March 30 demanding that four teachers including Padman be suspended for alleged sexual harassment against female and male students.
The protest was temporarily called off on March 31 following the intervention of the head of the Tamil Nadu State Women Commission A S Kumari. She spent five hours on campus and collected close to a 100 written complaints on sexual and mental harassment. The issue echoed in the state legislative assembly the same day and chief minister M K Stalin promised legal action if the allegations were found to be true.
The students said on Monday that the board agreed to look into their demands which include acknowledgement of the students union, and implementing measures to address verbal and sexual harassment, sexism, body shaming and colourism on campus. “They have orally agreed to consider our demands. We want it in writing,” said one of the protesting students, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Padman, a senior instructor, was booked under sections 354A (sexual harassment) 509 (use of acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code and section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Women Harassment Act, 2013, police said.
The all-women police station in Adyar registered a case on Friday based on the alumna’s complaint ; she studied under Padman from 2015 to 2019. “He was in Hyderabad and he was not traceable after he returned but we arrested him in Chennai today,” a senior police official said, asking not to be named. The official added that a police team is in Kerala to meet with more alumnae on the basis of the complaint.
Students and alumni said they have complained of harassment since 2008 but that the school’s management did not take them seriously. In anonymous online posts several students and alumni have shared experiences of being sexually harassed -- with opportunities to be repertory dancers in Kalakshetra’s famed dance dramas at stake.
The arrest, the state government’s investigation, and the board’s decision come after weeks of denial.
On March 19, Kalakshetra’s administration released a statement that said the school’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) found no truth in the allegations.
Kumari, the state Women’s Commission chief on Monday summoned Kalaksetra’s director Revathi Ramachandran and deputy director S Padmvathy to appear before her with the ICC report. “But they did not bring the ICC report today,” said Kumari. “I’ve told them to send it to me . They brought documents to show how they have handled the issue.”
When the protest started on March 30, Ramachandran announced the school was being closed till April 6, asked the students to vacate the hostel within two days and postponed the exams. The students appealed to Kumari , asking that exams be conducted . On Monday Kalakshetra released a statement that it would hold exams from April 5. “Exam schedule will be released shortly,” said Principal Pakala Ramadoss.
On March 25, Ramachandran met Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) Sylendra Babu to share details of the ICC’s reportand maintain that the allegations were rumours to spoil the image of Kalakshetra.
“During the last few months, a scurrilous campaign is being carried out through social media posts casting aspirations on the functioning of Kalakshetra Foundation, and targeting some members of faculty and also malingering the institution’s credibility,” the Foundation said on March 25.
That statement forced the National Commission of Women to say it was closing the case after initially seeking action against t Padman and Ramachandran.
Founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale in 1936, Kalakshetra functions autonomously under the Union ministry of culture. It is spread across 100 acres in Chennai and serves as a learning and performance space for fine arts among which Bharathnatiyam is its most revered and popular form.
