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Finally the agitating Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) students called off their ‘17 day long !’ hunger strike . However,their primary agitation against Gajendra Chauhan and the appointments of Sangh Parivar members in the FTII would go on. This was clarified by the students after the Information and Broadcasting (I & B) Ministry agreed to hold fresh talks. Paradoxically, student’s frequently changing stance and demands have brought this agitation back to square one.

Photo courtsey hindustantimes.com

Looking back on their 108 day long agitation and “17 day long Hunger strike!’, it is now clear that the students don’t want to end their agitation. Actually, the students and the government had arrived at a settlement and an understanding on 25th July 2015 itself when the students along with the interlocutors Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Raju Hirani met with the Ministers.

However, the students resiled on their commitments made to interlocutors also. The Government in its several letters has alleged that students frequently changed their stance and made factually incorrect averments in communications.

Students do not want Government to have any references / preconditions, especially to and in the meeting held on 25-07-2015 in the presence of the interlocutors Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Shri Raju Hirani. In fact,through one of the letters they had clarified to the ministry that the student representatives never gave any kind of commitments to the interlocutors to reside on them later in any capacity .

In the nutshell students want the government to have talks with them afresh without any preconditions. There are two reasons why students don’t want any pre-conditions before any talks.

Firstly,the main intention of the strike was the assessment of incomplete projects. Whentheacademic council of FTII decided that when delays to complete projects are caused without any valid reasons, the project even though incomplete, will be stopped within the time frame and assessment will be done accordingly on as-is-where-is basis. Students were opposing that decision but there was no reason they could start an agitation because several students haven’t completed their projects for years together which they should have completed within three months.

Meanwhile , the Government reconstituted FTII and appointed Gajendra Chauhan and other members on it. No doubt these appointments were politically motivated but studentsfound this as an excuse to agitate. And obviously Modi critics supported the students. However this support was for the appointments only and not for the students original ‘assessment’ cause. This support was so overwhelming that the students also forgot their original aim of theagitation. However with time, every body concentrated on issuesother than assessments and that is the reason students don’t want any preconditions beforethe talks. This is because if talks continue on the basis of discussions held on 25th July then the “assessment issue will not be discussed.

Secondly, the students have nothing to lose if agitations continuebut everything to gain with support from people with their own agendas. They can enjoy the agitations for months together. The agitation is on FTII premises. This may be the India’s first agitation which is being run from Government buildings and funds. FTII not only paid the air fare to the agitating students to go to Delhi but also admitted the fasting students in private hospitals at great cost.

Additionally, the students have no worry about their lodging and boarding. They can get money to run their agitation or day-to-day expenses from institute as and when required. Yes, it is true. After students started agitation on 12th June, one agitating student submitted a bill of rupees 30,000/- as reimbursement of expenses towards the purchase of photo frames. Such frames are available in market maximum at the cost of Rs.100 to 200. However the student charged Rs. 3000 per frame. The bill was approved and signed by all the authorities on 16th June and cleared on the same day. The receipt submitted doesn’t bear the name of the purchaser. Absurdly, the bill was ssanctioned as contingency without reason. The HoD concerned who approved this suspicious bill has generously sanctioned Rs. 25000 instead of 30,000. This student hasn’t submitted accounts or returned the money taken earlier.

This is just one example but shows how money is being siphoned off from the institute with help of the authorities and shows how authorities are sponsoring the agitation with 'artistes' in tow. For some people FTII has become money minting machine and hence everybody wants control over it.

New documents obtained under the RTI Act reveal that the sole purpose of all the agitations and hunger strike of students of FTII was to take total control over the institution and that they had no problem with Gajendra Chauhan and Shailesh Gupta. These were red herrings. The stalemate is now restricted to three names only.

Students Don't want to leave their heaven
Photo courtsey the scroll

After meeting the Minister of Information & Broadcasting and the Minister of State on 25 July 2015, the students wrote a letter to the Directors of FTII giving a solution to resolve the ongoing crisis. The students were apparently happy with the discussions at Delhi. Post-meeting, the students had intense deliberations and discussions with the larger student body. Then they sent a proposal to the Director who in turn forwarded it to the Ministry. The students mentioned that the proposal to resolve crisis was based on what they (students) understood from the various proposals put forward during discussions with the Ministers.

Lets us first see actually what student’s proposal was

l. Three out of the ﬁve contentious members of the proposed society (Anagha Ghaisas, Narendra Pathak and Rahul Solapurkar) would be replaced immediately by three new mutually agreeable members.

2. Three members who have resigned (Jahnu Baruah, Santosh Sivan and Pallavi Joshi) would be replaced by three new mutually agreeable members.

3. For the tenure of the current society, a Vice-Chairman would be elected from among the Society members. All the powers of the Chairman would be vested in this Vice-Chairman while Mr.Chauhan would function as the interim titular head.

4. Mr. Chauhan would not be a part of the revamped process of appointing the new Director at FTII a search committee could be formulated for the appointment of the director- they would be entrusted with identifying suitable candidates.

5. The main demand of the students is academic excellence; to achieve this. a "Mentor/Academic chair" would be created at FTII who would help steer the institution in all academic matters. This mentor would arrive at decisions in consultation with students, teachers and other bodies. By deﬁnition he/she would be an active member of the Academic and Governing council.

6. A time bound Committee with a clear mandate should be formed to look into the reasons of the current crisis and suggest new rules towards formation of all the future FTll Societies in a transparent manner.

7. A Study Group comprising eminent people and academicians will be formed to look into the academic, administrative, infrastructure and human resource issues of the institute and help in the transition to the Institute of National importance. Recommendations of previous Committees such as the Khosla committee and the Nair committee reports could be considered to avoid duplication.

However, the students still have apprehensions about the role of the appointed Chairman under these circumstances. A proactive mechanism devised to address these apprehensions would help strengthen your commitment to make FTII a truly world class Film Institute. We suggest that the post of the Vice- Chairman in the current Society; to be given the title of Co-Chairman. All the powers of the Chairman would be vested in this Co-Chairman and the appointed Chairman would function as the interim titular head.

FTII Students proposal

The modalities and the time frames within which these solutions would be arrived at will be very critical to expedite the process. Also, the different committees suggested should have a clear mandate and should be time bound with members representing the highest academic excellence. In light of the above, if we mutually agree to the proposals discussed and apprehensions raised, it would help us resolve the current crisis at the earliest.

What prompted students who were earlier adamant on dropping five members to suddenly agree to retain Gajendra Chauhan and Shailesh Gupta? What was it that made Chauhan and Gupta non-contentious almost overnight? The students had earlier insisted that none of these five has strong credentials to become members of this premier institution. They also alleged that these five were political appointments. If that be so, why didn’t they oppose Pranjal Saikia who was an office-bearer of the RSS-linked Sanskar Bharati. Their vociferous protestations have suddenly gone silent.

Whatever be the reasons, it now appears that their opposition has whittled down only to three

Photo courtsey Ravi Karandeekar

names i.e Anagha Ghaisas, Narendra Pathak and Rahul Solapurkar. Students want these three and other members who have resigned (Jahnu Barua , Santosh Sivan and Pallavi Joshi) to be replaced by new mutually agreeable members. Why do the students not want back the members who resigned to support them? And what is this new condition of “mutually agreed” members. Process of such appointments should be transparent but that doesn’t mean appointments by “Mutual understanding” with agitators. Will not all other such institutions ask for similar changes then? This will then become the proverbial tip of the ice berg for agitations in the future.

Earlier the students didn’t want Gajendra Chauhan and four others to be associated to a “premier Institute’ like FTII. Then how come suddenly only Gajendra Chauhan and Shailesh Gupta are acceptable and not the other three who are presently on the board? Are they to be sacked? And if so what is the charge-sheet against them?

The president or chairpersons of governing council of FTII are, in any case, ornamental posts only. They don’t have any special powers. That means these posts have been titular all along. Then why did the students oppose Gajendra Chauhan in the first place? Their earlier objection that Chauhan did not have any association with FTII in the past and ,nor could he be placed in the same league as some of his predecessors has suddenly vanished in thin air. Does the only being titular make him to be placed in that league?

Students’ another demand is, Vice-Chairman would be elected from among the Society members. All the powers of the Chairman would be vested in this Vice-Chairman. Presently, the Governing council elects the Vice Chairman. What difference it would achieve if society members elect the Vice Chairman is difficult to understand. Giving powers to the Vice Chairman or any other member is the prerogative of the Governing Council of FTII. The government has nothing to do with it and the students far from it.

Students don’t want Chauhan to be a part of the revamped process of appointing the new Director at FTII. A search committee could be formulated for the appointment of the director- they would be entrusted with identifying suitable candidates. FTII rule 37 (i) specifically says that the Director shall be appointed by the Governing Council with the prior approval of the Central Government on such terms and conditions as may be approved by the Central Government. It is up to the governing council whom to make part of such appointing process. It is another thing that till today governing council has made chairman a part of such process.

Their next demand is the creation of "Mentor/Academic chair" who would help steer the institution in all academic matters. Interesting part of this demand is they want this mentor to arrive at decisions in consultation with the students, teachers and other bodies.

In nut shell, the students want total control and say in the process of appointing, president, chairman, member, director and also administrative decisions. It seems that if government appoints members with mutual understanding with students then that is the only transparency as far as current process is concerned. Those who appoint have the powers to replace and re-appoint. So, when would the students study and learn the basics of films and television. In their spare time?

What difference does it make if Gajendra Chauhan associates with FTII as titular or regular? How is it not going to affect the prestige of the Institute? How out of 6 members (Pranjal saikia included) only 3 members are contentious and others not? Students now have to answer as to the extraneous considerations that have weighed on their minds while trying to stage an official coup and take over the prestigious institute, which will go further down hill until it crashes if these demands are accepted.

Monday, September 28, 2015

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