FTII students step up stir against Chauhan

The FTII students on Saturday vowed to continue their protest against the appointment of television actor Gajendra Chauhan as the new chairman of its governing council by boycotting classes and shutting down administrative offices on the campus. About 150 students pursuing various courses at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) went on a flash strike on Friday.

Asserting that they would continue their protest till the demand is met, the students’ body alleged that it was purely out of consideration of his affiliation with BJP that Chauhan was chosen for the key post. “A person who has an official affiliation with the ruling-BJP and who lacks the vision and stature of the past chairpersons in film-making, has put a question mark on the process of selection for the post earlier held by eminent people like Girish Karnad, Shyam Benegal and Adoor Gopalkrishnan,” Harikrishnan Nachimuthu, head of FTII students’ association said.