CHENNAI: A delegation from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) — among them Oscar-winner Resul Pookutty — are to meet with the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry in New Delhi on July 3 to put forth their demands against the newly-appointed FTII society. The indefinite strike called by the students against the FTII society, the apex body that steers the institute’s vision, entered its 19th day on Tuesday.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry ministry on Monday had addressed a letter to the students inviting them for an open discussion to resolve the issue.
A committee comprising students and alumni will be representing the institute’s concerns to the I&B Ministry. Three current students and seven alumni, including Resul Pookutty and Prateek Vats will be part of the panel.
The students’ primary demand is that the ministry dissolves the FTII society and reconstitutes it in a a more democratic and transparent manner, keeping in mind the academic and artistic vision of an institute like FTII.
“We have strong governance at the Centre right now and they can definitely put across a rigorous democratic process to make future appointments in the FTII society, one that is based on academic experience and body of work. We are not just looking for a temporary replacement to the solution, we look forward to a change in the system and the way appointments are made,” said Prateek Vats, a national award winning director.
“We have faith in the panel that we have selected and request the government to do justice to new appointment to the FTII society after removal of the current one,” said Ranjit Nair, member of the core-committee of the students protest.
On Wednesday, the students will begin marching from the FTII Gate to Balgandharv Rangmandir in Pune.