The South Indian Artistes’ Association or Nadigar Sangam has announced that it will set up an Internal Complaints Committee following weeks of sexual harassment allegations against members of the Tamil film industry as part of the #MeToo movement, reported The News Minute.
Nadigar Sangam President Nasser and Treasurer Karthi convened a Special Working Committee meeting of the Nadigar Sangam on Monday. “Although there are Sangam laws to safeguard the rights and self-respect of our members, a legally-mandated ‘Vishaka committee’ will be constituted,” said a statement released by the organisation.
The statement also said the majority of members of the Internal Complaints Committee would be women members and that it would also include a psychologist. The actor’s body said the Internal Complaints Committee would be a neutral body.
“It is recommended that an authoritative body be set up under the leadership of the Tamil Film Producers Council for the redressal of conflicts that arise at the shooting spot,” the statement said. It urged the producers council to bring the Film Employees Federation of South India, the Tamil Nadu Film Director’s Association and the Nadigar Sangam under the ambit of the redressal body.
The Nadigar Sangam’s statement comes after its general secretary Vishal, who is an actor and also president of the Tamil Film Producers’ Council, announced the setting-up of a three-member probe committee to look into the allegations.
Since October 5, several women have accused prominent people in several fields including the Tamil film industry of sexual harassment. Poet and lyricist Vairamuthu, director Susi Ganesan, actors Radha Ravi, John Vijay and TM Karthik are among those accused.
Carnatic sabhas set up Internal Complaints Committee
The Federation of City Sabhas in Chennai constituted an Internal Complaints Committee to address complaints of sexual harassment against performing artistes in music, dance or drama, The Hindu reported on Monday.
“The Federation of City Sabhas, Chennai notes with a deep sense of anguish the recent complaints of sexual harassment from the field of performing arts,” a statement said, according to The News Minute.
The federation’s Internal Complaints Committee will be headed by a woman and will have five members. Complaints can also be given to the committee regarding any person involved in the field of performing arts.
The committee includes advocate Uma Ramanathan, carnatic musician Sudha Raghunathan, medical specialist B Vivekanand, Schizophrenia Research Foundation’s R Thara, and former Associate General Manager at Tata Consultancy Services Usha Dinesh.
The announcement comes after the Madras Music Academy decided to drop seven musicians against whom allegations of sexual harassment have been made from the list of performers in the December music season. The musicians who have been dropped are N Ravikiran, OS Thyagarajan, Mannargudi A Easwaran, Srimushnam V Raja Rao, Nagai Sriram, R Ramesh and Thiruvarur Vaidyanathan.
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