[The report, at sl. no. I below, provides that as per Gajendra Chauhan the protest "is a conspiracy of some individual". And in the interview, at sl no. II below, he avers: "Some political parties are involved and they are behind the protests. The FTII students are innocent." So he is yet to make up his mind.
And he lists his *relevant* administrative experiences as under: "I was national convener, culture, for the BJP and promoted the party’s ideology through cultural activities. I’ve been part of the Cine & TV Artistes Association, as an executive committee member and then as its vice-president for four years. I was also its president for a year." That's his *relevant* experience. What a joke, and what a joker!] I/II. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/FTII-Pune-stir-spreads-gets-support-from-more-artistes/articleshow/47697684.cms FTII Pune stir spreads, gets support from more artistes TNN | Jun 17, 2015, 01.50 AM IST ***Chauhan said, “It is a conspiracy of some individual, who has a personal issue here. This matter is being politicised.”*** [Emphasis added.] NEW DELHI: As the strike by FTII students against the appointment of TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of the governing council of the institute entered the fifth day, the I&B ministry on Tuesday offered to discuss "all relevant issues" but while insisting that the students call off the strike first and asserting its prerogative to constitute a governing council of its choice. The government, it is also learnt, has also discussed at the highest level to open a larger debate on whether it should continue to keep FTII, one of the premier institutes of excellence in the country, with it or turn it into a private institution. On this account, the government could consider subsidizing the institute for some four to five years, till it becomes self sustaining, say sources. Sources said that a strong school of opinion favours disengagement with the FTII on the ground that it would help ministry dodge controversies of the kind it is facing one."While being the agency which provides all the funds, the ministry cannot wash its hands off the institute, decisions taken by it have always attracted adverse publicity", said a senior ministry functionary . In a letter to the FTII Students' Association president Harishankar Nachimuthu on Tuesday, the ministry said it is willing to talk to the students but did not clarify whether it was ready to discuss the specific issue of replacing Chauhan. The students had written to the government for intervention in the matter as they stuck to their demand for revoking the appointment of Chauhan as chairman of its governing council. Meanwhile, protests spread to Kolkata's SRFTII on Tuesday as students there decided to go on strike in solidarity with FTII. The I&B ministry in its first response to the strike on Tuesday urged the students to "restore normalcy" and restart academic exercises. "The ministry believed that the FTII is an important institution which needs to be strengthened... the ministry is also of the opinion that the academic environment and discipline at the institute needs to be fully restored," the letter to the students' body said. It also added that, "the government of India exercises its prerogative to appoint members of the governing council after taking all the facts into consideration." In Pune, the students' body claimed support of more filmmakers and artistes, including Govind Nihalani, Rakesh Sharma, Subhash Ghai, Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt. Rakesh Sharma, a filmmaker, in a statement said, "First the IITs, now FTII and IIMs - this seems to be a pattern to meddle with centres of excellence to turn them into partly-controlled bastions of mediocrity. We must all protest visibly and vocally. This appointment has shocked everyone in the Indian film fraternity. Mr Jaitley would be wise to rescind it as soon as possible." Chauhan said, "It is a conspiracy of some individual, who has a personal issue here. This matter is being politicised." He requested the striking students to stay away from this politics as it will not benefit them. II. http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/interview-my-credentials-arent-bad-let-me-perform-says-gajendra-chauhan/ ‘I don’t believe my credentials are bad…Let me perform,’ says Gajendra Chauhan Actor and BJP leader Gajendra Chauhan, whose appointment as Film and Television Institute of India chairman sparked protests, talks to Sankhayan Ghosh. Gajendra Chauhan Written by Sankhayan Ghosh | Mumbai | Updated: June 18, 2015 9:30 am *Your appointment as the president of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, and the chairman of its governing council, by the I&B Ministry, has sparked protests by students.* Some political parties are involved and they are behind the protests. The FTII students are innocent. They have been misguided by these forces. I would advise the students to stay away from this political game. These political forces are taking advantage of the students for their own agenda. *People have questioned your credentials.* I don’t believe my credentials are bad. I have been given a chance. Let me perform. I have been in the field of television and films for 34 years. I have worked in hundreds of TV serials in small as well as big roles. The students should talk to the ministry, which decided to appoint me. Why am I being made a scapegoat? RELATED Govt May Set Up Panel To Talk To FTII Students Protest Continues At FTII; Agitators Say 'Mr Modi We Don't Want Your Puppet' FTII Shuts Down As 'BJP Man' Chauhan Is Made Chairman Initially, the criticism was about me. Then, RSS-associated members on the FTII panel and the I&B Ministry were dragged into it. Now, it is back to me. The students are questioning my credentials. Am I answerable to them? Are we heading towards a future where students get to decide who their teacher will be? *What was the procedure for your appointment?* I was called for three meetings with the advisory committee until my appointment. I want to put this on record that my political ideology will remain outside the gates of FTII. *The FTII is said to have deep-rooted operational issues. How do you aim to address them?* I am aware of the problems, but before I could execute any changes, this controversy came up. The issue that needs to be addressed on a priority basis is the student backlog. Students from earlier batches have still not graduated — some from the 2008 batch are still there. This needs to be looked into and the admission process of new students needs to begin. Secondly, the equipment — cameras and other machines — need to be upgraded. We also have to make additions to the faculty. For instance, Danny Denzongpa and Asrani used to teach at FTII earlier. We should bring in experienced people from the industry to conduct classes. Previous FTII chairpersons had almost no rapport with the government. Since I’m a part of the BJP, I can get work done faster. I am thinking of facilitating the screening of diploma films on Doordarshan, which will help the students financially. *You had said that the FTII hasn’t been able to produce a filmmaker of reckoning after Raju Hirani.* What I meant is that people on the streets don’t know those who have graduated after Raju. We have an Oscar winner like Resul Pookutty and even a lot of National Award winners, who have studied at FTII. They are very talented, but they are not known to common people. Artistic satisfaction is important but the financial aspect of cinema is also crucial. Many of your critics have referred to Khuli Khidki, a B-grade film, you had acted in. When you try to make it in the industry on your own, you do such films. There is no embarrassment in it. It was a hit and did good business. *Do you have any experience in administration?* **I was national convener, culture, for the BJP and promoted the party’s ideology through cultural activities. I’ve been part of the Cine & TV Artistes Association, as an executive committee member and then as its vice-president for four years. I was also its president for a year.*** [Emphasis added.] -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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