FTII row: Government is not responding to students’ hunger strike, says director Prashant Pathrabe

Earlier in the day, three students initiated hunger strike to mount pressure on Centre

Published: September 10, 2015, 6:31 PM IST

https://www.india.com/news/india/ftii-row-government-is-not-responding-to-students-hunger-strike-says-director-prashant-pathrabe-543891/

Pune, Sept 10: Government has refrained to pay heed towards the hunger strike initiated by the protesting students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Three members of the FTII students’ association began an indefinite fast on Thursday to mount pressure on Centre to resolve the current crisis.

According to institute’s director Prashant Pathrabe, “The government has shown no reaction. I have communicated with Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. They have not responded yet”. (ALSO READ: FTII row: Protesting students begin hunger strike in Pune demanding resignation of Gajendra Chauhan)

On its part, the institute authorities have arranged for medical facilities to treat the students if their health deteriorates. In the past week, an FTII contractual faculty, identified as Abhijit Das sat on an indefinite fast demanding the intervention of Centre to normalise the condition in the institute. After 66 hours, he finally broke his strike on September 8.

The agitation led by a major section of FTII students, faculty, alumnus along with the support of a segment of film fraternity has crossed 100-day mark. The protesters are firm on their demands. They have asked the Centre to revoke the appointment of Ganjendra Chauhan as the chairman of the governing council, citing his below the par credentials. Allegations against the BJP government have been made by the students of attempting to impose its ideology on the creative institute by assigning members within the governing council who are affiliated to right-wing groups.