A Gokulendran, senior member of the Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangam (PuKaSa for short), a progressive cultural and literary organisation in Kerala, has been removed from the post of state secretary, after an allegation of sexual harassment rose against him. PuKaSa has also formed a four-member panel to probe the allegation.
About a month ago, a Malayali Dalit poet reposted a MeToo statement she had made in 2021, following Gokulendran’s re-election as state secretary of PuKaSa. At the time of her initial post, Gokulendran was kept away from the activities of PuKaSa and an investigation was conducted by a panel. Later, he was told that the file was closed due to lack of proof. However, the poet said that no one had reached out to her from PuKaSa for the investigation. This time, a fresh panel has been formed with new members.
The poet, now 30, told TNM in an earlier interview that the sexual harassment took place when she was a minor, between 2008 and 2012. She had been active in the camps conducted by PukaSa and in other literary circles where Gokulendran would meet her. She alleged that his behaviour towards changed after her father passed away. In her post in 2021, the poet detailed her experiences and said that it had cost her her space, her people, and her writing itself. She also said that members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) – which backs the PuKaSa – had put pressure on her mother to get her to remove her post.
