Student Agitation at FTII

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Eeshit Narain
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Student Agitation at FTII

Post by Eeshit Narain »

There is a student agitation going on campus these days against the privatization of the Institute by the Government of India.

For related updates, letters, press coverage visit:

http://ftiistudentsbody.blogspot.com/

Support through the online petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/ftii/petition.html

Visit this page on facebook for latest pictures and videos:

FTII STUDENTS COMMUNITY



Looking forward to everyone's support.

Thank You.
pierrefriquet
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Re: Student Agitation at FTII

Post by pierrefriquet »

Dear Comrades,
it's from Johannesburg, South Africa, in a special historically-speaking that I'm writing this little post. Well I always wish to write THE post that gets created in my mind but always i can't find the right timing to put all that down. So I'm following Param's advice " Please don't sit idle. There's a lot we can all contribute, by just commenting".
I'm actually writing from work where I put on pause my editing job, a documentary, to write these lines. As said above, where i stay right now, is a historical meaningful place for South Africans, Sophiatown. You can wikipedia it, it's very relevant to know what happened there.
This area, Sophiatown, was an oasis of "freedom" and multiculturalism in the desert of apartheid days. Because of the Group act, everyone was compartimented into ghettos, whites among whites, blacks amongs blacks, coloured among coloured, Indians among Indians, Chinese among Chinese etc
But Sophiatown was not. It was alive with mixed ethnies and languages. Blacks used to hang with whites and so. It was a small pocket where difference was accepted and celebrated.
The Nazi-like regime of apartheid didn't like so much HAPPINESSS and unity among diversity, so they displaced by force everybody there to create an area reserved for police men and reservists. Everybody from the area was put into ghettos and no place like that existed till democracy came back in 1994.

It's a far stretched and totally subjective but don't let FTII be a place for police men and reservists. It's an island in the middle of a desertic ocean.
This institute has breed the best years of my life and forever I shall remember each face, each second that i encounter.
The place is fragile and constitutes an UNIQUE environment in the world. I can't express or explain what is FTII to somebody that i don't come from FTII.
I have to use analogy so I use the term UTOPIA or i can refer to a film. If FTII was a FILM, what would it be? So I chose 8 and half for its artistic freedom and famous sequence towards the end where Marcello is with women in his imaginary kingdom.

I'm geographically far but emotionally with you guys. Some days back, I had a chat with a soldier who was a member of the AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS's armed wing. Remember before Independence in India, the armed wing of CONGRESS. Same stuff. That guy was among the personal guards of Nelson Mandela.
At great extend, we talked about a new form of REVOLUTION ! media-cum-social revolution.
And I can see with you guys happening.
Just the fact that i'm writing now is a sign of this new movement.
Please I'm addressing to the artists hearts of all. Please make films/small clips/video installation/any audio visual content and share it on youtube.
I saw on facebook photographs of small posters and so on. This is great. I'm only encouraging to continue all that.


I must also thank you Param who has been a wonderful host. He has contributed tremendously to FTII. He is a great inspirer of efforts done on internet. Of course, there are so many.


All my life, I will bear a sentimental debt to FTII. I thought I will come back and teach or whatever. This is an opportunity for everyone to GIVE back what FTII gave us.

ALL THE BEST TO ALL
don't give up the FIGHT


Pierre
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Paramvir Singh
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Re: Student Agitation at FTII

Post by Paramvir Singh »

Thanks for the post, Pierre.

Ok guys, I read this in Pune Times, November 17

FTII privatisation draft rejected

PUNE: The draft for privatisation of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) has been rejected in toto by the members of the newly formed PK Nair committee and the FTII chairman.

On Tuesday, FTII director Pankaj Rag and chairman U Ananthamurthy lend support to the students' demands against the institute's privatisation. They promised to communicate the same to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Planning Commission.

What follows this move is a governing council meeting at FTII on Thursday, which will be attended by representatives of the ministry. "There is no question of self-reliance in a film institute like the FTII. I, therefore, support the demands made by students against the institute's privatisation. I shall communicate the same to the Planning Commission. And, if things don't happen accordingly, I will be the first to resign," said Ananthamurthy while addressing the students on Tuesday.

Members of the PK Nair Committee, like filmmakers Jahnu Baruah, Kundan Shah, Shaji Karun and scriptwriter Shama Zaidi among others, were present in the meeting held on Tuesday with the FTII student representatives and alumni.

The online petition floated by FTII students two days ago has already got a favourable response from several student and teacher organisations, besides NGOs all the city and all over the country. "The PK Nair Committee needs to be empowered. Details are being worked out as to how this committee will function and what suggestions it will make now that the proposed draft report has been scrapped," said Samarth Dixit, president of FTII students' association.

Rag said that steps are being taken to resolve this issue. "We will be deferring the admission of the next batch till this problem is solved. We will make sure that students' issues are put across to the ministry," he said. The Governing Council meeting on Thursday will determine the next course of action at FTII.
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