While the students’ indefinite strike against the appointment of TV actor-turned-BJP leader Gajendra Chauhan as chairman continuing to cripple the working of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), a foreign national student has now alleged that she was made to sign an ‘anti-strike’ undertaking in order to secure a two-month leave to travel back to her country.
The student, a Russian national, is an Indian Council for Cultural Relations-sponsored candidate pursuing a one-year postgraduate course in Television (Direction).
According to sources, when she applied for her leave earlier this week, she was made to comply with the undertaking that allegedly required her to specify that “she was not on strike and did not support it in any form”. Only after this, was she provided with the required documents.
She also told a reputed daily that she was required to submit a letter to the Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) here in order to secure a return visa to enable her to finish her FTII course.
While FTII Director Prashant Pathrabe was unavailable for comment, the staff strenuously emphasised that technical procedures were distorted by media reports to imply something sinister.
“As per procedure, she could not have been granted leave if she was on strike. She said that she had to get back to Russia and work for a period of two months there, from August end to October end else she would lose her job there. This [the undertaking] was necessitated as her course in FTII was not running on schedule owing to the strike,” said U.C. Bokade, FTII Registrar.
Tensions are still simmering beneath the surface even as a lull descends over the FTII campus racked by 78 days of strike powered histrionics.
Students have told the three-member Information & Broadcasting (I & B) team that the strike would go on until the opaque selection procedures used to nominate candidates (four of whom are Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh propagandists) to the FTII governing council were reversed and the council itself dissolved and replaced by a body of eminent filmmakers.
A midnight crackdown by the police on the campus on August 19 and the arrests of five students for allegedly harassing Mr. Pathrabe has led to a fraught relationship between the staff and the students.
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.