Thiruvananthapuram: The Justice Hema Commission, which has been constituted to study the working conditions of women in the Malayalam film industry, will submit its report in six months.
This was conveyed by the commission members to culture minister A K Balan here on Wednesday. Justice Hema, along with members K B Valsala Kumari,a former bureaucrat, and yesteryear actor Sarada, met the minister at his office here. Mr Balan on his part assured full support of the government to the Commission’s work.
The Commission’s functioning had come under a cloud after the Women in Cinema Collective had alleged that Justice Hema’s demands were delaying its functioning. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the minister said that the Commission will have its base in Kochi. He also wanted those in the film field to cooperate with the Commission. Earlier, the Women in Cinema Collective had alleged that Justice Hema refused to occupy an office the government had arranged for the Commission in the capital. However, as it turned out, the government has allowed Justice Hema to choose Kochi as her headquarter.
The WCC members are wary, yet they have welcomed the deadline set by the Commission. “It is definitely a positive step,” said Bina Paul, noted editor and one of the founding members of WCC. “Now our hope is that the Commission will do its best to bring out the issues being faced by the women in the industry. All over the world these issues are being addressed, and we should not lag behind," she said. She also exhorted the Commission to talk to all stakeholders in cinema, not just women.
The Collective also wanted more urgency because any policy decision related to the welfare of women in the film industry - their pay and their working conditions - can be taken only if adequate data is generated. “They have already wasted over eight months,” said Vidhu Vincent, another WCC member.
In March, the Collective had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister asking him to check why the committee was taking so long to file a report and even wanted the members removed if they are not interested.
