FIRE demands Hema panel-like body to probe ‘sex harassment’ in Kannada cinema

Film Industry for Rights and Equity (FIRE), a film body based in Karnataka, along with various civil society organisations, has demanded the Karnataka government to constitute a committee headed by a retired judge, along the lines of Hema Committee of Kerala, to study and report on issues faced by women including sexual harassment in the Kannada film industry.

Advocacy for survivors of sexual abuse 

The organisation has put forth its demands in a petition sent to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday (September 4).

FIRE has been instrumental in establishing India’s first-ever film industry Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in the Karnataka film industry and advocating for survivors of sexual harassment since 2017.

“We recognise that more comprehensive measures are needed to create a safe and equitable working environment for all women in the Karnataka film industry,” says actor-turned-activist Chetan Kumar, a founder member of FIRE.

Petition signed by 153 people

As many as 153 individuals including actors, writers and gender activists have signed the petition sent by FIRE. They include actors Ramya, Aindrita Ray, Sruthi Hariharan, Ashika Ranganath, Deepa Ravishankar, Dhanya Ramkumar, Meghana Gaonkar, Panchami, Pooja Gandhi, Samyukta Hornad, Shanvi Srivastava, Shraddha Srinath, Sindhu Srinivasamurthy, Kavitha Lankesh, B Suresh, K M Chaitanya, Kesari Harvoo, N S Shankar, Pawan Kumar, Mansore; and writers Rahamat Tarikere and Basavaraj Kalgud among many others.

Speaking to The Federal, Chetan Kumar said, “the petition has already been sent to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and shortly a delegation led by FIRE will hand over the memorandum to him personally. We hope Siddaramaiah, who has all concern for the women's safety will understand the issue and constitute an Inquiry Committee as desired.”

What are the demands?

Besides the demand to form a Hema Committee-like panel in the state, the organisation wants the panel to complete its inquiry and submit the report within three months. It also urges the government to make the findings of the report public and follow the recommendations made by the panel.

The organisation has also urged the government to develop and recommend policies to ensure a healthy and equitable work environment for women in the film industry.

Chetan Kumar, popularly known as ‘Chetan Ahimsa’ has assured the chief minister that FIRE will assist in the selection process and be a point of contact, if the government desires.

Need for stronger ICC

“FIRE came into being in 2018 and we demanded an ICC, either by the government or by the umbrella bodies of Kannada cinema. However no one came forward to act on that,” says filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh, president of FIRE.

Underlining the urgent need of having a more robust ICC she said, “a full-fledged ICC with equal representation of individuals from within and outside the film industry should be in place forthwith”.

ICC in its current form has no legal sanctity and is a forum where survivors can file their complaints.

‘Situation of women actors dismal’

Actor Sruthi Hariharan backed FIRE’s demand to have a committee that could investigate the issues faced by women in the film industry.

“The plight of women actors is beyond one's imagination. They are being treated with contempt. They don’t even have a minimum washroom facility at shooting locations. No one can imagine their problems during menstruation. First these issues should be addressed on priority,” she said.

Hariharan had stirred the hornet's nest in Kannada cinema by accusing Arjun Sarja, a prominent Kannada actor of “inappropriate” behaviour, in a Facebook post on October 19, 2018. She had also filed a police complaint against Arjun, who is also a popular star in Tamil Cinema. Shruthi had taken the support of FIRE’s ICC to file the complaint.