FTII students to continue strike

Pune/New Delhi, July 5

Expressing disappointment with Government’s response to their demand, students of the FTII decided to continue their strike which entered the 24th day today till TV actor and BJP member Gajendra Chauhan’s appointment as its chairman is cancelled.

A row, meanwhile, broke out as to what had transpired at the talks the representatives of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) students’ Association(FSA) had with Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi on Friday.

While asserting that there could be no “compromise on the core concern”, the FSA today claimed that Jaitley spoke of prospects of a “shutdown or privatisation” if they persisted with their main demand for revocation of Chauhan’s appointment.

I&B ministry officials in Delhi strongly refuted the contention that a reference was made regarding privatisation at the talks. A reference, they said, was made about the ERC recommendations.

They said that it was mentioned that the Geeta Krishnan Report (Expenditure Reforms Commission Report) had clearly recommended that both SRFTI and FTII be handed over to the film industry.

Officials said it was mentioned that the Ministry while not having implemented this recommendation, has been endeavouring to support these institutions to become centres of excellence and has even prepared a legislative framework towards this end. FTII Director DJ Narain contradicted the FSA version of the discussion with Jaitley in respect of privatisation. — PTI