Over 100 Bengali artists seek safer workplaces after Kolkata case
Over 100 female artists associated with the Bengali film industry wrote to the state-run Tele Academy on Tuesday, seeking a safer workplace amid the outrage over the rape-murder of the doctor at the city's RG Kar hospital. Among the signatories—which was also sent to the Eastern India Motion Picture Association and West Bengal Motion Picture Artistes Forum—were director Aparna Sen, actors Rupa Ganguly, Swastika Mukherjee, Paoli Dam, Sohini Sarkar, Bidipta Chakraborty, Chaitali Dasgupta, and Shakuntala Barua, and scriptwriter Meghatithi Banerjee.
'People shocked by recent torture, murder of woman doctor...'
"People of West Bengal, along with the entire nation, have been shocked to their core by the recent torture and murder of a woman doctor at her workplace - RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata," said the letter. It added, "In the wake of this heinous crime, it is heartening to see that the entertainment industry - theater artists and technicians, musicians, makeup artists, dancers and choreographers, screenwriters and technicians are taking to the streets in fervent protests."
Letter mentioned no functional support system in place
The letter, issued by the Women's Forum for Screen Workers, mentioned that no functional support system was in place to prevent, prohibit, and redress sexual harassment. "Nor any open conversation about the recurrent incidents of sexual abuse of women, children, and other extremely vulnerable people working in this industry. It is at once an open secret and a hushed-up reality," it added.
'Huge gap in information, access, advocacy about occupational safety'
The letter said there was also a huge gap in information, access, and advocacy about occupational safety and health, favorable working conditions, and social security guaranteed to all workers by labor laws. "In light of the above, we are writing this letter to inquire about - whether any statutory structure has been established for workers in the television, web platform, and film industry in accordance with the sexual harassment prevention acts and creation of safe spaces of work," it said.
Strict mechanism for whistle-blowing in cases of seeking sexual benefits
The letter also called for a strict mechanism for whistle-blowing in cases of seeking sexual benefits in exchange for access to work. "We know that it is the responsibility of the employers in all sectors to ensure the dignity and safety of workers in their workplaces; we state firmly that the television, web platform, and film industry should be no exception," it said.
