Actress Rini Ann George, who had filed a complaint alleging sexual harassment by a young political leader in Kerala, said that women are scared of consequences -- particularly the scary cyber attack and character assassination awaiting them if they come forward to talk about abusers.
Rini Ann George, whom Opposition leader VD Satheesan had claimed to be like a daughter to him, appeared on a CPM platform where she opened up about her horrendous experience of being targeted in the cyber space. She was speaking at the CPM protest gathering held in North Paravoor to protest against the cyber attack targeting K.J. Shine. Addressing the meeting, Rini stated that she too had faced severe cyber attacks following her disclosure against the politician, despite having stopped short of naming him and his organisation.
"I had some bad experiences from a youth leader. I spoke openly about it, but I chose not to name the leader, as I didn't want to bring disrepute to the movement. My intention was not to hurt or destroy anyone.
The question I raised was whether this is how young leaders entering politics should behave. All I shared was how leaders entering politics should behave ethically towards women and how they should conduct themselves going forward. However, what I faced in return was a horrific cyber attack," Rini said.
"I survived because I was aware that my intentions were not selfish. I could have blocked him and stayed away if it was only about myself. When I learnt that the individual was continuously trapping and hurting several women, I thought I should not just think about myself but about my sisters out there. The thought that I should not aid the growth of such criminals is why I opened up before society. I wanted him to feel a change of heart and stand by women," she added.
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K.J. Shine, who had previously criticised the political party Rini believed in as a group that subjected women to "Smarthavicharam" (a form of social trial/excommunication), welcomed Rini to the CPM. Former minister K.K. Shailaja inaugurated the protest meeting.
Who is Rini Ann George?
Rini was a journalist at several Kerala-based news agencies before stepping into the world of cinema. Her LinkedIn profile shows that she had been working in the industry for four years from 2017 to 2020 after receiving a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Madras.
To follow her passion, she pivoted to acting, anchoring, dance, choreography, and modelling. She recently starred in a supporting role in Guinness Pakru-led 916 Kunjoottan, a film about a man leading a double life. The action flick also starred Tini Tom, Rakesh Subramanian, Dayyana Hameed, and Niya Varghese. |
