Tamil Nadu State Women’s Commission chair AS Kumari visited Chennai’s Kalakshetra on Friday, March 31, after students staged a night-long protest demanding action on allegations of sexual harassment against four faculty members. A day before the protests, chairperson of the National Commission for Women, Rekha Sharma, visited the campus and enquired about the sexual harassment allegations levelled against Hari Padman, Sanjith Lal, Sai Krishnan, and Sreenath.
During the protest, students demanded that the alleged perpetrators be suspended and a safe atmosphere be created on the campus. The students also wrote to the Union Minister of Culture, G Kishan Reddy, under whose purview Kalakshetra Foundation falls, and the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. So far, one complaint has also been filed with the IC against Hari Padman, a Bharatanatyam teacher who has been heading the Kalakshetra Repertory since its creation in 2018.
Hours after students boycotted exams and staged a silent protest demanding action on March 30, they were asked to vacate their hostels and leave campus. Kalakshetra released a circular announcing the holiday till April 6. “All the inmates are requested to vacate the hostel within two days with immediate effect. Exams scheduled on these days are postponed. The new dates will be announced in due course,” the circular noted.