Students of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, have accepted the government’s invitation to discuss their demand for removal of newly appointed Chairman of FTII, Gajendra Chouhan who is a TV actor and a member of BJP.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry, on Tuesday, addressed the need of solution to the row as the students refuse to cease the strike after 20 days.
As a part of the protests, the students have boycotted classes and abandoned academic work in the past 20 days.
We received an official confirmation of our appointment on July 3 in Delhi last evening through a communication addressed to Film and Television Institute of India’s Director D J Narain by joint secretary of Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
–Spokesman, FTII Students’ Association (FSA)
The delegation, led by Girish Kasarwally, will comprise of 10 students including 7 pass-outs and 3 current students.
The students have held protests in the past 20 days by boycotting classes and abandoning academic work.
As the matter of the head of the prestigious institute remains ambiguous, the students have no name to suggest but insist that the person selected be without any political inclination.
The students believe that Chauhan, who is best known for his portrayal as ‘Yudhisthir’ in the popular Mahabharata TV serial in the late 80s, does not have the required academic or artistic excellence.
His appointment is also termed as politically coloured by the protesting students who are optimistic about the talks on Friday.
They have demanded a transparent process of appointments along with their previous demand of dissolution of FTII society since its members allegedly had no artistic credibility.
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