Not their favorite color: FTII students protest, demand Gajendra Chauhan’s removal

By Ishan Kukreti

Students of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) along with All India Students Association (AISA) and other student bodies held a protest against the government's decision to make Gajendra Chauhan the head of FTII.

The protest was held in front of Information and Broadcasting Ministry's office in Shastri Bhawan and witnessed a highly disgruntled gathering of students, demanding nothing less than Chauhan's removal, along with the four members of 'Persons of Eminence' category.

All five members have been deemed under-qualified for their respective positions and their links with the Sangh Parivar are viewed as their ticket to the institute.

" I want to know what the government saw in the man that they decided to bestow such a prestigious position to upon him. Maybe we are blind, and therefore we want the ministry to tell us the basis on which Gajendra Chauhan has been appointed the head of FTII," said Sanjeev Sood, head of GraFTII, alumni association of FTII.

" The BJP government, by making these appointments has sent a clear message that come what may the government is ready to spread its ideology even if it means destroying the educational institutions of the country," said Sucheta, President AISA.

Gajendra Chauhan, whose tour de force includes playing Yushistar in Mahabharata (1998) and some B grade movies, along with four other faculty members, Anagha Ghaisas , Narendra Pathak, Pranjal Saikia and Rahul Solapurkar, have been allegedly given prominent posts in the institute because of their loyal adherence to the saffron strand of nationalism promoted by the current Modi government.

"Forget ideology, the people appointed are not even credible film makers to be placed at the helm of this prestigious institution. This is part of a surgical process through which the government is trying to forward its agenda among the youth," said Kislay, former general secretary of FTII and a final year editing student.

Student bodies across India have not taken the recent cases of increasing central interference and appointment of BJP/RSS related people as institutional heads. The latest row over FTII appointments has united the students and this could create trouble for the NDA government.