Stalement over FTII appointment continues; students unrelenting

Pune, June 16

Deadlock over the appointment of TV actor and BJP member Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of FTII's governing council continued for the fifth day on Monday, when some 150 students of India’s prestigious film institute boycotted classes.

Students continued to shout slogans against Chauhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The institute’s student association has even written to the Information and Broadcast Ministry, under which the institute falls, demanding Chauhan’s dismissal but I&B Minister Arun Jaitley has yet to respond.

"We are yet to hear anything from the government's side on the issue so far. The protest will continue until our demands are met," FTII students' association representative Rakesh Shukla said.

Activists of All India Students' Association (AISA) also staged protests outside the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in Delhi against the appointment.

Students claim the appointment was biased, arguing that Chauhan lacked the qualifications and competence required of a head of an institute of film education. They have, however, dismissed claims that their objection was primarily based on Chauhan’s political affiliation, arguing that they had no objection when Vinod Khanna, a BJP member, was appointed the head of the institute’s governing council.

Meanwhile, students claimed several more filmmakers and artistes have come in support of their protest, including Govind Nihalani, Rakesh Sharma, Subhash Ghai, Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt.

Rakesh Sharma, a filmmaker, said in a statement: "First the IITs, now FTII and IIMs — this seems to be a pattern to meddle with centres of excellence to turn them into partly-controlled bastions of mediocrity. We must all protest visibly and vocally. This appointment has shocked everyone in the Indian film fraternity. Mr Jaitley would be wise to rescind it as soon as possible".

Chauhan, best known for his portrayal of Yudhisthira in the mega TV serial Mahabharat, called the protests ‘politically motivated’, although he maintained that he was willing to talk to the protesters.

"It is a conspiracy of some person who has a personal issue here (sic). This matter is being politicised," he said.

He defended the decision, claiming that he had the credentials to head the film institute’s governing council.

"I have been interviewed by the I&B ministry multiple times before I was put on this post. It was not an overnight decision by anyone," he said, adding that he would ensure his own political ideology would not interfere with his decisions for the institute.

"I'm an actor first. I have been in the field for the past 34 years. Ideology has been there only for 10 years. I promise all students that (my) ideology will not affect (my decisions at),” he said. — PTI