As the strike action at the Film and Television Institute of India crosses two and a half months, the visit by a three-member committee appointed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has kindled hopes that the impasse would end. The panel held detailed discussions with students and alumni and sought the views of the faculty and other staff members. The students expressed satisfaction that they were heard “objectively”, and hoped for a solution when the committee submits its report to the government this week. The controversy over the appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan, best-known for his portrayal of Yudhishtira in B.R. Chopra’s TV serial ‘Mahabharat’, turned intensely political with the entry of Rahul Gandhi, who accused the RSS of “a consistent, systematic assault on India’s academic and democratic institutions”. He led the students to President Pranab Mukherjee seeking his intervention to protect public institutions from ideological or political interference. The visit led to a war of words between the Congress and the BJP, which became an extension of the confrontation inside Parliament. Days later, the arrest of five students during a midnight police raid on the Pune campus frayed tempers further, and the government was accused of launching a “witch-hunt”. Though the Ministry responded swiftly and sent in the panel, the raid indicated the government had not handled the issue as sensitively as it should have.
The committee’s recommendations are not known as yet, but it’s time the NDA government used the opportunity to reassure liberal and progressive sections that it does not intend to “subjugate” cultural institutions. It should instead chart out a road map that would make the FTII a sought-after centre of excellence. It should even consider whether the first step in this direction could be to grant the students’ demand to keep Mr. Chauhan’s appointment in abeyance. A panel of eminent film-makers could be set up to frame a transparent structure for future appointments of the FTII Chairman, where merit and capability, and not political or ideological credentials, are given due priority. Actor Mohan Agashe, a former Director, suggests that the government appoint a governing council comprising students and headed by the I&B Minister to resolve campus issues. The FTII has a legacy of producing fine film talent, and the government’s focus should be on making it a world-class centre. Asian cinema – whether it’s Indian, Iranian, Chinese or Korean – is making an unmistakable mark at the global level. And film-makers moulded by the FTII should continue to be able to lead this creative wave into the future.
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