A three-member Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry team on Friday held
“fruitful” talks to end the prolonged strike by FTII students, demanding removal of TV actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman, and will submit its report to the government on Monday.
The team, headed by Registrar of Newspapers SM Khan, despatched by the Centre to break the deadlock, engaged with agitating students, faculty and other stakeholders.
“We had very good discussions with all the stakeholders – staff, faculty, students and the alumni – and we could understand the issues involved. All are satisfied with the discussions and we will submit our report to the I&B Ministry very soon by Monday,” Khan said, after the talks but remained non-committal on whether Chauhan will be removed, saying the details cannot be disclosed.
A representative of the FTII Students’ Association (FSA) also described the talks as “very fruitful and <g data-gr-id="46">much awaited</g> discussion”.
Khan, who was accompanied by two other I&B Ministry officials – S <g data-gr-id="34">Nagnathan</g> and Anshu Singha – declined to comment on whether the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) administration would withdraw criminal cases filed against 17 students involved in the Monday evening’s gherao of the institute’s director Prashant Pathrabe in his cabin.
“Police is doing their job,” he added. Addressing media in the presence of Pathrabe, Khan, however, said: “The students are very nice and the security (beefed up for <g data-gr-id="35">director</g> with <g data-gr-id="36">induction</g> of bouncers) is not required.”
The bouncers, who were called on campus after Pathrabe was confined to his room by agitating students where he claimed he was subjected to “torture”, are a topic of hot discussion at the prestigious institute.
Vikas Urs, representative of the FTII Students’ Association (FSA) said: “We are really happy as the Ministry has taken the first step to <g data-gr-id="42">listen</g> to our concerns.”
The students have been on strike, boycotting classes and other academic activity since June 12 to demand the removal of Chauhan, claiming he lacked “credentials, vision and academic excellence” to head the premier institution.
The campus unrest reached a flash point when the police swooped down on the campus in the wee hours of Wednesday and arrested five students for vandalising the premises and confining Pathrabe to his chamber.
The arrests had triggered outrage and several top politicians, including Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condemned it, prompting the Centre to despatch the team headed by Khan to Pune.
Meanwhile, a group NSUI activists staged a protest at the FTII gate on Friday. They raised slogans against the Narendra Modi government and Chauhan. The strike has been on for 71 days.
Mamata backs protesting FTII students
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday voiced her support for the protesting students at Pune’s FTII and said that “political purpose” should not come in the way of resolving the issue.
“The Central government must resolve the issues fuelling the prevailing unrest at FTII. They must take the students and teachers into confidence,” the Chief Minister tweeted. “Political purpose should not stand in the way, institutions are above everything,” she added. Students at the institute have been boycotting their classes for 71 days, following the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman. The Chief Minister stressed that she supports students’ “genuine cause always”.