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Monday, September 28, 2015

FTII Hunger Strike Called off , Struggle to Control Money Minting Machine Continues

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 “1​7 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​,​ ​e​specially ​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 ha​d 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 precondition​s​. There are two reasons why students don’t want any pre​-​con​d​i​ti​ons before any talks.

Firstly,​the main intention of the strike was the assessment of incomplete projects. When​the​academic 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 student​s​ haven’t completed their project​s​ ​for ​years together​ which they should have complete​d​ 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 student​s​found 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 the​agitation. However with time, every body concentrated on issue​s​other than assessments and that is the reason students don’t want any preconditions before​the 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 continue​but 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 building​s  ​and funds. FTII not only pa​id  ​the ​air fare to the agitating students to go to Delhi but also admitted the fasting students in private hospitals at great cost.
 
​Addition​ally, 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 require​d​. 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 s​sanctioned as contingency ​without reason. The HoD concerned who approved  ​this suspicious bill has generously sanctioned  ​Rs. ​2​5000 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. 

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