After 72 strike-plagued days of high-powered histrionics which included crackdowns and midnight arrests, students of the Film and Television Institute of India are finally seeing a ray of hope following a visit by a team from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on the campus.
Hectic parleys between the three-member delegation and the FTII staff, faculty and student representatives were held during the course of Friday which offered hope to defuse the crisis engendered by the controversial appointments of TV actor-turned-BJP politico Gajendra Chauhan as FTII Chairman and four Sangh Parivar propagandists as members to the Governing Council.
Following several closed-door meetings, S.M. Khan, Registrar of Newspapers of India, said that “the detailed discussions were very fruitful.”
“We understood the issues of all the stakeholders. Not just the students and the faculty, but even the Ministry wants the strike to end soon. We expect to submit a report to the Ministry by Monday,” said Mr. Khan.
Commenting on the elaborate security detail assigned to FTII Director Prashant Pathrabe after he was allegedly “manhandled” and “mentally tortured” by the students, Mr. Khan said that it was not required.
“This is the first time since the strike that the Ministry has attempted to hear our problems in detail. We are hoping issues can now be resolved in a better environment. It is not about Mr. Chauhan, but the process which should be transparent,” said Vikas Urs, spokesman of the FTII Students Association.
The campus turned restive after the police stormed it and arrested five students in the wee hours of Wednesday. The crackdown was triggered after Mr. Pathrabe complained that students held him ‘hostage’ in his cabin for several hours.
More heartening news followed for the FTII contractual staff, 82 among who were supposed to be axed for redundancy following the strike, which has paralysed the working of the institute.
FTII Limbo
Gajendra Chauhan, an actor-turned-politician, was appointed as the chairman of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) on June 9, 2015. His appointment triggered an >indefinite strike by students of the institute on June 12.
Who is Chauhan?
Mr. Chauhan is best known as 'Yudhisthira' in the Mahabharata TV series aired on Doordarshan in 1988-90. He has been associated with BJP for over two decades but formally joined the party in 2004.
Why protest?
Students of FTII have questioned Mr. Chauhan's body of work and "creative credentials." The students doubt if Mr. Chauhan can fill the shoes of predecessors like R.K. Laxman, Syam Benegal, Girish Karnad and U.R. Ananthamurthy.
Political vendetta?
Students claim that Mr. Chauhan's appointment is an attempt of the ruling party to foist its right-wing agenda upon the Institute.
Supporters
Besides, prominent film personalities, All India Students' Association (AISA), the Kolkata-based Satyajit Ray Film Institute, and students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) are all coming out strongly in support of the striking students.
If they don't want you, they don't want you. Pushing for the chairmanship is getting you no where. Let self pride play a role and retire
- >Rishi Kapoor
FTII needs to be in safe hands. Students need somebody who they can trust and look up to. It's their future which is at stake here.
>- Rajkumar Rao
This is something we should be talking about and by this we will clearly know that it is a mistake and that he has no credentials...If I would have been in place of Chauhan and I would have seen that my fraternity does not want me, I would have withdrawn.
>- Amol Palekar
Don't think what the students are asking for is illogical, don't think they are asking for the moon. They are just asking for a fair chance, a fair opportunity, correct faculty, correct syllabus.
- Ranbir Kapoor
I have neither been approached by students nor by authorities. But being an alumnus of this institute to which I owe my film career, I am more than willing to step in and sort out matters if given the chance to do so.
- >Shatrughan Sinha
Prominent chairmen
Anwar Jamal Kidwai (1974 - 1977)
First chairman, founder of Mass Communication Research centre at Jamia Millia Islamia.
>R.K. Laxman (1977- 1980)
Legendary cartoonist, Padma Bhushan, Vibhushan. Known for creating the character "Common Man".
> Shyam Benegal (1981 - 1983) (1989 - 1992)
Known for pioneering parallel cinema. Recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award among others.
> Mahesh Bhatt (1995- 1998)
Award-winning director, screenwriter, producer in mainstream Hindi cinema.
>U.R. Ananthamurthy (2005-2008) (2008-2011)
Eminent author, Padma Bhushan. Pioneered Navya movement in Kannada language.