Serious lapses have happened: AMMA vice president Lakshmipriya on workplace harassment row

Amid the ongoing controversy over former office manager Athulya’s workplace harassment complaint, Lakshmipriya has spoken about the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists executive committee’s handling of the issue, while also clarifying that joint secretary Ansiba Hassan’s resignation was due to personal and professional commitments.

The issue first came into public focus after Athulya accused AMMA treasurer Unni Sivapal and general secretary Kukku Parameswaran of workplace harassment and unfair termination from her post. Following an executive committee meeting held on May 12, AMMA president Shwetha Menon announced that Athulya’s termination had been revoked and that Unni Sivapal had been asked to go on leave.

The recent executive committee meeting also saw AMMA formally accept the resignation of joint secretary Ansiba Hassan, which had been submitted earlier this year. The development led to speculation about possible internal disagreements within the organisation, though vice president Lakshmipriya maintained that the resignation was unrelated to the ongoing controversy surrounding Athulya’s complaint.

“Ansiba had submitted her resignation on February 21, but she was willing to continue until the next general body meeting. So her resignation and the office manager issue are not connected,” Lakshmipriya told Onmanorama.

According to her, Ansiba cited personal and professional commitments as the reason for stepping down from the post.
“As joint secretary, she had several responsibilities. Due to her professional and personal commitments, she could attend only a few executive committee meetings. That may have influenced her decision,” she said.

Lakshmipriya added that the resignation could not be discussed during the executive committee meeting held on March 2, but was later taken up during the recent meeting, where it was officially accepted.
When asked about reports of internal conflicts involving Ansiba, Lakshmipriya said she was unaware of any such issue.
“As executive committee members, we have limitations in commenting on such matters. Ansiba herself would have to speak about any personal concerns. I have not heard of any internal issue, so I cannot comment on it,” she said.

The vice president also spoke in detail about the controversy surrounding Athulya’s complaint and the way it was handled within the organisation. Athulya, who worked as office manager for AMMA, later filed a complaint before the Ernakulam City Police Commissioner against Unni Sivapal and Kukku Parameswaran. The complaint was subsequently transferred to the Ernakulam North Police Station for further inquiry.
Speaking about the matter, Lakshmipriya said Athulya had already informed senior office bearers about her concerns before the issue became public.

“The president, the general secretary and the treasurer were aware of the issue because Athulya had written to them earlier. The rest of the executive committee members were not informed,” she said.
Lakshmipriya also defended Shwetha Menon’s approach as president, stating that decisions within the organisation were usually discussed collectively.
“Shwetha is not someone who takes decisions on her own. She consults others before making decisions. She had informed Athulya that the matter would be discussed at the next executive committee meeting, which was held on the 12th,” she said.

At the same time, Lakshmipriya expressed dissatisfaction over how the issue had escalated.
“I made it clear during the meeting that a decision which should have been taken collectively had now reached this stage because of the actions of a single individual,” she said.
Without elaborating further, she added that senior office bearers with organisational experience should have known the importance of discussing such matters with the executive committee before taking decisions.

“Kukku Parameswaran has held important positions in several organisations. She is aware that decisions of this nature should not be taken without the knowledge of the executive committee,” Lakshmipriya said.
She also noted that there were limitations on how much office bearers could publicly discuss internal matters due to AMMA’s bylaws.
“I am not the spokesperson of AMMA, so there are limitations on what I can say publicly. But in Athulya’s case, serious issues have taken place. There is no doubt about that,” she said.

Lakshmipriya further revealed that Athulya was invited to speak directly before the executive committee during the recent meeting after permission was sought from members by the president.
Athulya had alleged that she lost her position after raising concerns internally about the conduct of senior members.