The agitating Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) students called off their 18- day-old “hunger strike” in response to the government’s communication inviting them for a dialogue to resolve their demands.
The meeting is scheduled for September 29 in Mumbai.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry Joint Secretary has replied to our letter (sent on Saturday stating that they were ready to withdraw hunger strike if the ministry fixed a date for a dialogue) and a meeting has been fixed on September 29 at Films Division in Mumbai.
— Ranjit Nair, FTII Students’ Association (FSA) Representative
The protesting students, however, refused to attend classes.
The boycott of classes, which started on June 12, will end only after the issue is resolved, Nair said.
Three members of the FSA will take part in the talks with the ministry officials in Mumbai.
The FSA is protesting against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan, a BJP member and actor, as the head of FTII.
The students, alumni of FTII along with a few members of film fraternity in India believe that Chauhan has no credentials of heading the institute.
(With agency inputs)
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