CINTAA sets up committee to hear & help #MeToo survivors

Following the #MeToo campaign that has gripped Bollywood over the last few weeks, Cine & TV Artists Association or CINTAA on Wednesday announced their decision to put in place a separate committee that will look into all sexual harassment complaints at workplace.

Sushant Singh, actor and General Secretary of CINTAA has initiated a discussion and has requested everyone to stop shaming and questioning the survivors.

Talking about the committee that will be put into action very shortly, Sushant said, "We will have a committee called POSH — Prevention of Sexual Harassment — at workplaces and we have decided to make sets safer by putting placards and pamphlets explaining what sexual harassment is.

Apart from these, we also have an outreach programme where our members are stationed at different areas, In case there are any complaints being reported, we will straight away swing into action and get the victim out of the situation. If need be, we will also send our volunteers to take control."

He further added, "Swara Bhaskar approached us (with the idea), she is our member. Coincidently she was working on this issue independently and very methodically. When we met her, we realised we were on the same page.

"There will be a sub-committee which will focus on sexual harassment awareness. It includes Swara, lawyer Vrinda Grover who will take a session for the industry. POSH will also pitch in and counselling sessions, awareness workshops will be held."

Apart from this, the sexual harassment committee will constitute of Bollywood actresses Raveena Tandon Thadani, Renuka Shahane, filmmaker Amol Gupte, journalist Bharti Dubey, POSH lawyers and psychologist among others. It will follow the Vishakha guidelines and more than 50 per cent of the members will be women.