Days after actor and producer Vijay Babu, who has been booked on charges of rape, went absconding, the Women’s Collective in Cinema (WCC) has issued a statement reiterating the need for the immediate implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) at Workplace Act in Malayalam film productions and a zero-tolerance policy to sexual harassment across the industry. A woman actor had earlier filed a complaint against Vijay Babu and said that he allegedly raped her, when she sought opportunities to act. The police have issued a lookout notice against him and reports say that searches have begun outside Kerala. However, on the night of April 26, Vijay Babu came online on Facebook Live, and broke the law by naming the woman actor who filed the case.
Stating that his naming the survivor has “opened doors for a mass social media attack and shaming of the survivor,” the WCC said, “We request the Cyber Cell and the Vanitha Commission to act upon this urgently. This debasement of women through social media is reaching its lowest depths. We urge the government to take responsibility for her safety and request all authorities to take serious note and act.”
They further said that there was the “usual deafening silence” from the Malayalam film industry. “Industry associations that he is a member of are just quiet and no one from the industry wants to say anything about this powerful, well-connected man. And it is this very silence that makes sure more and more women are exploited and assaulted in the industry,” they said, adding that the WCC is appalled at the silence. This silence from trade associations comes inspite of the recent judgement of the Kerala High Court directing them to implement the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013 in the Malayalam film industry, in letter and spirit, the WCC pointed out.
They further demanded that the industry and all allied associations take a serious note of this and the membership of Vijay Babu in all film bodies be suspended until there is a verdict. “Unless they take action against him for his brazenly illegal act of victim shaming in public, their stand as industry organisations is problematic. The last time this debate happened - they claimed to ‘stand with the survivor and pray for the accused’. If they choose to stay silent now, should we assume that he is twirling his moustache and speaking on behalf of all of them?,” WCC questioned.
"I respect the law of the land but here I am the victim and my name has come out. So why shouldn't the other party's name come out too," Vijay had claimed in a live video before he went on to name the young actor, in a clear violation of the law. Vijay Babu has been charged under the sections 376 (sexual assault), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).