There is no justification in making the report compiled by the Hema Commission, appointed by the state government to study the issues plaguing the film industry, by concealing crucial facts, dubbing artist and actor Bhagyalakshmi has said.
The crusader for women’s rights in the film industry said she had submitted her depositions before the commission not with the intention of recording her statement alone. She wondered whether crores were spent to protect the victim or the perpetrators. Bhagyalakshmi was responding to Manorama News in the wake of the State Information Commission(SIC) order to release the Hema commission report with a rider to omit sensitive content.
She said she couldn’t digest the meaning of making the report public by omitting sensitive content. If the intention was to omit sensitive content, why was the need for such a commission, she wondered.
Bhagyalakshmi said she had no clue on what transpired behind the development.
She pointed out that she had also made her stand clear in her submission that without the perpetrator’s name being made public, the Commission’s purpose would not be served.
The Hema Commission was set up to probe the issues involved in the assault on the actress and also other deep-rooted malaises plaguing the film industry, Bhagyalakshmi said. Many had vouched before the commission that they had similar bad experiences in the industry. Some have even named the culprits and the commission itself has noted these. After all these, what purpose does it serve to mask the names of the perpetrators, she asked.
A concern regarding this issue persists. “I myself had doubts that when a woman submits before the commission about her bad experiences, whether a case will be registered, and if so whether there would be evidence, and all such things had occurred in my mind too. Cases should be registered on the basis of the submissions there without which there is no point in noting it down,” she said.
Bhagyalakshmi confessed that she was of the view from the beginning that there was no point in appearing before the commission and making such submissions.
There could have been many discussions on the report. This is not an ordinary report, it pertains to serious issues, Bhagyalaskhmi pointed out.
