A show of solidarity

The Screenwriters’ Association (SWA) expressed solidarity with writerproducer Vinta Nanda, as well as all victims of sexual harassment. “We have received a formal complaint from our member Vinta Nanda, and we are committed to ensure a fair investigation and to deliverance of justice. We stand in solidarity with all victims of sexual harassment and encourage them to speak up,” the SWA said in a statement.

This comes amidst Nanda’s claim that she was sexually violated by actor Alok Nath around two decades ago. Other women, including actress Sandhya Mridul, have also come out with their unsavoury experiences with Nath.

As a trade union, SWA has over 21,000 members, and it has resolved that its internal committee will offer full support to any member who is facing such harassment. “We believe that gender/sexuality based violence or discrimination is against the spirit of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which espouses the basic Right to Livelihood for all Indian citizens. Thus, SWA upholds a zero tolerance policy towards such behaviour.”