Hema Committee report impact: Tamil actors' body to ban sexual offenders for five years

Chennai: The South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA) alias Nadigar Sangam in the Tamil film industry has decided to take stern action against perpetrators of sexual offences if they are proven guilty. The association took the move in the light of the Hema Committee report that exposed violence against women in the Malayalam film industry. Following the release of the report, more women are opening up about the sexual attacks they faced in film locations.

Kerala police have registered over 20 cases against several men, including actors, directors and production controllers, over these complaints. Observing these criminal cases in Kerala, the Nadikar Sangam in Kollywood, which is on high alert, decided to take strict action including a five-year ban on the offenders.

In a meeting held on Wednesday, the actors' body passed a resolution to form a Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee (GSICC) to look into the cases related to sexual harassment and related offences. This committee will provide legal help to the victims.

But, the association leadership stressed that the woman must report their complaint on sexual harassment to the committee first before disclosing to media. All the complaints would be investigated thoroughly, the actor's body announced.

According to the resolution taken by the association, a warning would initially issued to the alleged preparators after which action will follow. The Committee said the victims can register their complaints with the actors' body through a dedicated phone number that has already been established while a new email ID has also been created for the purpose. The Nadigar Sangam also said that it would provide full support to those who want to lodge complaints against contents on YouTube channels. 

Senior female actors including Suhasini, Kushboo and Lissy attended the meeting. The Nadigar Sangam is a union for film, television, and stage actors in Tamil Nadu.