The long-awaited Justice Hema Committee report examined the challenges and working circumstances faced by women in the Malayalam film industry finally released to the public on Monday. Published: August 20, 2024 3:12 PM IST By Edited by Hours after the damning Justice K. Hema Committee Report on the conditions of women working in the Malayalam film industry, containing shocking revelations on how women in the film industry are being sexually exploited, was finally released on Monday, Kerala’s Leader of Opposition V.
D. Satheesan slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan government for keeping this report in cold storage since 2019. The report was kept under wraps for over five years after it was first presented to the government in 2019.
Widespread debate has been generated by the publication of the 235-page document, 65 of which have been redacted to preserve individual privacy. The state government spent Rs 1.50 crore on the report that Justice Hema (retd), who was appointed by the Vijayan government in 2017, produced in 2019.
Even still, the report was only made public on Monday following a protracted court battle, despite last-minute attempts to postpone its release. “This is a grave crime done by the Vijayan government and we wish to know why was this report kept in cold storage. Was it to save those who did the exploitation? The need of the hour is a special police probe team headed by a top woman IPS official and bring to book all the wrong-doers, whosoever they are and wherever.