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‘100 complaints of sexual, verbal & mental harassment’ at Kalakshetra, TN women’s panel to prosecute staffers

Illustrious dance academy a 'toxic place', students tell chairperson of Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women, who has urged them to call off protest, appear for exams.

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New Delhi: Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women’s chairperson A.S. Kumari plans to prosecute Kalakshetra staffers after receiving at least a “hundred complaints of sexual, verbal, and mental harassment” levelled against them by students of the institute.

“I spoke to students privately and they told me stories of the kind of sexual, mental and verbal harassment they face. They told me it’s a toxic place to study at, and not a safe place at all,” Kumari told ThePrint over the phone Friday. She added, “I am currently sitting with a lawyer and going through the complaints. I am certainly going to prosecute in accordance with the National Commission for Women Act (1990).”

Kumari, however, did not specify the names of staffers who will be prosecuted.

She also said that she has asked students to call off their protests and to appear for examinations after Friday’s inquiry.

“We are dispersing the protests till Monday. If any action is not initiated by then, we’ll protest again,” said one Kalakshetra student part of the protests, on condition of anonymity.

In the meantime, four Kalakshetra staffers accused of sexual harassment — Hari Padman, Sajith Lal, Sai Krishnan and Sreenath — were asked to return to Chennai from Hyderabad, where they were scheduled to perform at an event to be attended by Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

ThePrint reached Hari Padman via calls and WhatsApp messages but did not receive a response by the time of publication. This report will be updated when a response is received.

Kumari’s intervention came hours after students staged a day-long protest at the campus Thursday, and even confronted director Revathi Ramachandran over the administration’s alleged inaction. Videos doing the rounds on social media show Ramachandran, a renowned dancer and choreographer, leaving the campus late Thursday night.


Also Read: Lights, camera, sexual harassment—PoSH committees in Mumbai showbiz failing MeToo


Dramatic week at Kalakshetra

On 21 March, ThePrint reported on allegations of sexual harassment against four Kalakshetra staffers, including Padman, an assistant professor described by students and faculty members as ‘the most influential man on campus’.

ThePrint had also reported how students and faculty were unhappy with the way the internal committee conducted its proceedings between January and March 2023, after which it exonerated the assistant professor in question. The college had even issued a gag order and construed the allegations as a bid to malign the institute’s reputation.

CAREspaces, a US-based organisation which describes itself as “the first Indian performing arts safe-space”, has claimed it received ‘more than 100 anonymous testimonies’ of students alleging harassment at Kalakshetra.

Though the National Commission for Women (NCW) promptly took cognisance and directed Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) C. Sylendra Babu to conduct an inquiry, it rescinded its letter two days later, reportedly after receiving an inquiry report from Kalakshetra. NCW chief Rekha Sharma even visited the Kalakshetra campus on 29 March.

However, the students were not satisfied with the NCW chief’s visit and alleged that the administration had created a “threatening” environment for them, discouraging them from seeking an audience with Sharma.

A staffer had told ThePrint that Sharma left in haste, leaving a line of teachers and students who wanted to speak with her, waiting. The NCW chief had asked the students to “complain to them via email”, said a staffer who did not wish to be named.

Immediately after morning prayers on 30 March, students held a silent protest under a banyan tree on campus. The protest continued till late at night when the crowd of students was finally dispersed. Students put forth a charter of demands which included the dismissal of Padman and three other repertory dancers, as well as the counsellor. 

As the protests received national attention, Kumari reached the campus Friday and conducted inquiries for at least three hours.

“She was good to talk to, she listened to our complaints keenly and promised action. We have confidence in her,” a Kalakshetra student told ThePrint.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin too assured action against the accused Friday. “The government is conducting a proper investigation into the matter and if the charges are confirmed, legal action will be taken against whoever is at fault. It will be taken compulsorily,” he said in the state legislative assembly.

(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)


Also Read: TM Krishna criticises Kalakshetra’s ‘aggressive’ response to sexual harassment complaints, calls it ‘unbecoming’


 

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