FTII Protest: Students Refuse Dialogue With Gajendra Chauhan

Here’s what the FTII war is looking like after Gajendra Chauhan’s Day 1 as Chairman.

Students being manhandled by the police. (Photo: PTI)

On Wednesday, as Gajendra Chauhan took charge as the Chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), the students staged a protest.

The Result?

Over 20 students were bundled-up in a police van and taken to the police station.

Police detain students for staging a protest. (Photo: Abira dhar/The Quint)

The protest continued, as anticipated, and Gajendra Chauhan’s car zoomed into the campus, unaffected by the chaos outside. He began with presiding over his meeting with other members of the governing body. After that meeting, which went on for over five hours, this is where both parties stand.

Protest vs Dialogue

<p>Staging a protest is someone’s democratic right. Taking action on them is not our jurisdiction. It is for the police to look into the matter. I really wanted to meet the students. I am willing to talk to them at any time and listen to their grievances. The most prominent part of the meetings was that the decisions were taken unanimously without any opposition.</p>

<b>Gajendra Chauhan, </b><b>FTII </b><b>Chairman </b>

But the students say, they were never even approached for talks.

<p>At no point did he communicate officially that he wanted to have a dialogue with the students. We were not allowed anywhere near him and the meeting venue was completely barricaded by the police. </p>

<b>FTII Students</b>

Students continue protest in the FTII campus while the meeting was on. (Photo: Abira dhar/The Quint)

The FTII committee nominated members of Governing Council, which included film personalities like Rajkumar Hirani, Satish Shah, Pranjal Saikia, Narendra Pathak and film journalist Bhawana Somaaya.

BP Singh, creator of crime investigation series CID, who is elected as the Vice President of the FTII Society, is now the Vice Chairman of the council too.

Singh, the FTII alumnus, will be new the Chairman of the Academic Council. When the students were asked if they were happy at least with this decision, this is what they had to say.

<p>Our key demand was to lay down a process for appointments to policy-making bodies at FTII. If there are 10 positions to be filled, then why can’t we have 10 best appointments. The argument of placing the likes of Raju Hirani and claiming that it was done to satisfy students, is ridiculous and we condemn it.</p>

<b>FTII Students</b>

The students also refused to but the argument that the council would have autonomy.

The students said, “All decisions taken by the Academic Council have to be approved by the chairman as per the FTII constitution. Hence it’s just an eye wash. We have reason to ask for the appointments to be on the basis of merit”.

<p>We see all the appointments made come out of a flawed makeshift or rather non-existent process. Now the question is beyond just credibility and credentials. It is also about the intent of the government.</p>

<b>FTII Students</b>

The students also accused the Centre of believing in crushing disagreements. They claimed, these are dangerous times but minced no words when stating that they will continue to be the “voice that they have become”.

“We tried to get in touch with one of the members from the governing council who reverted saying “it’s too early to talk”.