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Wednesday, October 7, 2015

FTII logjam, Government is negotiating with students on the issues that they are barred to interfere in.

The adverse publicity may be the reason why government is compromising with situation that has occurred due to Film & Television Institute of India’s (FTII) students strike. Otherwise no students are allowed to choose their administrator or principal anywhere in the world. FTII student can enjoy this privilege because it is a public institute. In private organization, they would have thrown these students out of the campus .

Actually as per rules FTII students are barred from any interference in administrative matters of the Institute. Such Interference in administrative matters is major breach of discipline for which the student is liable for expulsion. However students in last some years have not only interfered in the administrative matters but also taken total control over it. Moreover the Government is also negotiating with these students on the issue that they are barred to interfere in. If followed properly there are several rule in FTII , that would have kept the students ‘student’ status intact . However compromising with these rules has raised their status from students to dictators.

Photo Courtsey atodblog.files.wordpress.com

There are several rules of this institute that nobody follows except only one, and that has turned this institute in a ghetto like society. As per this rule students are barred from complaining or reporting of any incidence, no matter of whatsoever nature be taken to the outside agency like Police & Other organizations. They are allowed to do so only after approval of the director, FTII in writing. Everybody including students, staffs & administration follow this rule religiously. Hence incidences of whatever serious nature including deaths , thefts, sexual harassments, intimidation, alcoholism, vandalism, and nuisance etc. got buried in the institute itself.

Photo Courtsey cliparthut.com

One may not believe but as per FTII rules no students of the Institute is permitted to accept any professional assignments before he/she completes training .Failure to complete course assignment on given frame due to individual reasons leads to de-enrollment. No student is allowed remain absent from classes or the examination without the permission in writing of the HoD or Dean. Adhering to strict course schedule is compulsory, only HoD’s are empowered to relax the same in deserving individual cases, depending upon circumstances. No alcoholic drinks or narcotic drugs are allowed to be brought to or consumed in the Hostel and the Campus. However Institute authorities for reason best known to them compromised with each of these rules.

All above situation was encouraging for those students who wanted to make this institution a way of their survival and they succeeded with help of faculty, HoD’s & Directors. Not all students are on strike but a group of few dominate the others. Actually the film wing of this institute dominates the others, especially the television wing. Students of film wing do not respect television guys. That may be another reason that striking students are opposing Gajendra Chauhan as he is mainly known for contribution in television.

Photo Courtsey http://www.glamsham.com/

It is difficult to comment on when actually this stale mate will end. But while thinking on this strike one should not forget that, earlier students sent ministry a proposal to solve the crisis but latter on they denied it. They also denied that they had given any type of commitment to interlocutor Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Raju Hirani . Vidya balan denied that she had signed any proposal to support student’sstrike. Pallavi josh, Jahnu Baruah, Santosh Sivan resigned from the FTII society to support students but students didn’t request government to reinstate them.

Meanwhile Striking FTII students have now told the Government that Secretary of Information & broadcasting ministry can be the chairman of the premier Institute till revamped process of appointment is put in place. Earlier these students had demanded to put the FTII Society in abeyance. These both demands are childish. Government cannot appoint a new chairman or keep the present appointment on FTII in abeyance unless it first cancels earlier appointment. Whatever may the situation at present, The very fact is that right now Gajendra Chauhan is the Chairman of FTII.It is highly unlikely that the Government will climb down on its decision. If they do due to political reasons, that will be a pretty damning precedent to set for themselves.

FTII row, non issue being stretched too far

Students of Film and TelevisionInstitute of India ( FTII) are on strike since last 93 days. Their demands are legitimate or not may be the matter of debate. However one thing is clear, everybody associated with FTII i.e ministry, administration and students can not claim innocence in this matter and everybody is stretching the issue too far.

Photo courtsey Ravi Karandeekar

Right now this issue is focused on the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the President of FTII and Chairman of the Governing Council (GC). Students have also objected to the Rahul Solapurkar, Anagha Ghaisas and Narendra Pathak as members of the Council. However, it seems that agitation is now focused only on Gajendra Chavan.

Photo Courtsey Ravi Karandeekar

There is no doubt that nominations or appointments on several authorities or Institutes like FTII are always politically motivated. It is also agreed that process of such appointments must be transparent. There may be some substance in argument on credentials of Gajendra Chavan. But it is also fact that President of FTII or chairman of its Governing Council doesn’t have any special powers. Decisions are taken in governing council meetings on “majority carries the point” basis. Then how come appointment of members who doesn’t have any special power or authority became such a “big issue”?.

Photo courtsey Ravi Karandeekar

FTII is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and is registered under the Societies’ Registration Act of 1860. There are a total 26 members in the Society and a President. Themembers are appointed by the Central Government under various categories. The 26 members elect 13 members for the GC. The general superintendence, direction, control and administration of the affairs of the Institute, its property and income vests with the GC. The President of FTII is by default the Chairman of the GC. The GC has powers to appoint other committees and the Academic Council and the Standing Committee on Finance are formed by the GC.

The GC, as the apex body of the FTII, is responsible for making all major policy decisions of the Institute in consonance with its aims and objectives. In any event, the 4 members of the GC against whom allegations have been made cannot take or manipulate any decision. Then why are the Government and more particularly the students making a prestige issue on this point? Removal of Gajendra Chauhan may solve this problem immediately.

Photo Courtsey Firstpost.com

Then why is the Government not doing that? And why have the students stalled the functioning of FTII? This is specially significant because politically affiliated members are in a minority in the GC and it is crystal clear that these so called politically affiliated members on the GC cannot make any difference in the functioning of FTII. Then what is bothering the students?

Since last 18 months i.e from 4 March 2014, GC is not in place in FTII. And it has made no difference to the functioning of the Society. The tenure of the GC being 3 years, the newly constituted committee will get only 18 months tenure because the members will be appointed retrospectively i.e from 4 March 2014. And hardly 4 or 5 meeting would take place in 18 months.

Photo Courtsey Mid day

Past history of institution shows that hardly any luminary has participated in such meetings. So big names do not make any difference to the functioning of the Society. Further, there is always the chance of this issue landing up in a court of law due to the political overtones in this agitation. No one can then predict the outcome; however by that time this Committee’s tenure will certainly be over.

Support to student’s agitation grew multifold after the Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi entered the fray. And as media is covering it 24x7, it has now become fashionable to support blindly put one's name behind it! Surprisingly, Rahul Gandhi did not do anything for FTII when he was the ruling dispensation and had full authority and over a decade to take steps for the betterment of the FTII? The tenure of the earlier committee ended on 3 March 2014 and the Code of Conduct came in to force on 5 March. Why did not UPAII appoint the FTII Committee? Why Rahul Gandhi and his government let the opportunity to appoint the new GC slip to the NDA II?

Recently actors Vidya Balan, Pallavi Joshi and Anjum Rajabali have also supported the student’s agitation urging the President to declare FTII as a Centre of Excellence and de-link it from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting by making it an autonomous institution. Pllavi Joshi while supporting agitation said, "Creativity and great work is an impossible target to reach in a cloud of negativity”. She should have added that politics and art rarely go together! Vidya Balan and Pallavi Joshi are both appointed on FTII GC.Pallavi has tendered her resignation.

Instead of supporting the agitation, Vidya and Pallavi should join FTII and transform the Institution. If one one 'wrong' person make so much difference then two right persons should make much more positive difference to the Society. However, no one is coming forward for the betterment of FTII but appear to be interested in supporting agitations and allegations.

Vidya balan has also talked of de-linking FTII from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and making it autonomous. FTII is already autonomous, now what de-linking will achieve only Vidya Balan may reveal. One can attach several connotations to the word "de-linking" and many of them could be serious.

FTII Students’ Association has already alleged that the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Arun Jaitley has hinted that if students do not “cooperate” with the Ministry to resolve the stand-off over the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan, it could lead to FTII’s privatization. Earlier, such agitations in FTII have ended in the termination of the course or temporary closure of the film wing. In such circumstances,students should help run the Institutee and not nip the intention of closing the Institute or its privatization in the bud.

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Wednesday, October 7, 2015

FTII logjam, Government is negotiating with students on the issues that they are barred to interfere in.

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