The ALIFA-NAPM believes this move is "essential for securing justice and promoting accountability in the Telugu film and television industries".
Published Sep 09, 2024 | 1:58 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 09, 2024 | 2:14 PM
ALIFA demands release of sub-committee report on Tollywood. (iStock)
The All-India Feminist Alliance of National Alliance of People’s Movement (ALIFA-NAPM) has strongly appealed to the Telangana government to release the long-pending sub-committee report on “Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination in the Film and Television Industries”.
The report, submitted in 2022 in the presence of a high-level committee, contains crucial recommendations aimed at ensuring a safe and dignified working environment for thousands of women, transgender people, and individuals from working-class backgrounds in the entertainment industry.
In a statement issued to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on 8 September, the ALIFA emphasised the urgency of making the sub-committee report public and implementing its recommendations within a set timeframe.
The organisation believes that this move is “essential for securing justice and promoting accountability in the Telugu film and television industries”, which have faced multiple allegations of harassment and exploitation.
The alliance pointed to the recent release of the Justice Hema Committee Report by the Kerala government in August 2024, which empowered women in the Malayalam film industry to come forward with their stories of abuse.
The ALIFA urged the Telangana government to follow Kerala’s example by releasing the report and committing to its recommendations to combat sexual harassment and improve gender parity in the industry.
The two-page statement was signed by 53 women activists across the country.
ALIFA-NAPM demands the Telangana government to release the sub-committee report on Telugu cinema. (Supplied)
The high-level committee was established in April 2019 following actor Sri Reddy’s protest in 2018, which highlighted the issues of discrimination and sexual exploitation in Telugu cinema.
Women’s rights activists raised concerns about the widespread sexual harassment, which led to the formation of the panel after a Public Interest Litigation was filed in the High Court. The high-level committee, in turn, constituted a sub-committee to study the pervasive issues.
The sub-committee, which was active from 2019 to 2022, met with the councils, associations, and professionals in 24 crafts within the film and television industries to gather insights into working conditions, contracts, wage structures, and accountability.
The committee also consulted with key industry bodies such as the Producers Council and the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce. Its findings were submitted to the then-chief secretary Somesh Kumar in June 2022.
The ALIFA noted that despite this, the working conditions for women and vulnerable groups in the Telugu film and television industries remain deplorable. The recommendations made by the sub-committee, to address issues like gendered exploitation, sexual harassment, and the lack of safeguards for workers, have yet to be acted upon.
The ALIFA concluded the statement by calling on the Telangana government to release the report without further delay and implement all necessary measures to improve working conditions and ensure justice for those affected.
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
