Kerala CPM Reconstitutes Internal Complaints Committee to Address Sexual Harassment Complaints

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Setting an example for rival political parties in Keralam, the state CPM is going in for a fully operational Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). The just-concluded state committee meeting decided to reconstitute the defunct panel with senior leader T N Seema as its chairperson. Set up in the backdrop of an array of complaints including those against senior leaders, the five-member committee will report to the state leadership. Notably, the CPM is coming up with an ICC to address sexual harassment complaints at a time when the party is mulling strong action against its former Palakkad district secretary E N Suresh Babu, against whom serious harassment charges were levelled. In addition to the chairperson, who is also a CPM state committee member, the panel comprises three more state committee members — P K Sainaba, M Vijayakumar and N Chandran — in addition to Advocate T Geenakumari as external member. The state CPM decided to reconstitute the ICC after a nudge from the central leadership. Party general secretary M A Baby had referred to the central committee’s decisions in the recent state committee. “A committee was formed after the last state conference. It has now been reconstituted with more active members,” said a central committee (CC) member. Soon after the Sexual Harassment at Work Place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act came into effect, the CPM central leadership had formed ICCs. However, these were not operational in states.