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Sunday, September 13, 2015

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. Th​e​members 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 power​s​ 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. ​I​n any event, the 4 members ​of the GC ​against whom allegations ​h​a​ve be​en 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 i​s ​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 th​at 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 fashion​able​ to support blindly​ put one's name behind it! ​Surprisingly, Rahul Gandhi did​ ​n​ot 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 ​Cent​r​e 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 th​em ​could be serious.

FTII Students’ ​Association ha​s already alleged that ​the ​Union Information and Broadcasting Minister​,​  Arun Jaitley ​has ​hinted that if students d​o 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 agitation​s​ 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 ​Institute​e and not ​nip the intention of closing ​the Institute or its privatization in the bud​.

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