FTII impasse: Centre makes fresh offer to students for talks

September 16, 2015 21:11

As the impasse over actor and BJP member Gajendra Chauhan's appointment as FTII head nears 100 days, the Centre today made a fresh offer to the striking students for talks but without preconditions.

The offer by the Information and Broadcasting ministry was made even as senior BJP leader Madhav Bhandari held informal talks with students' representatives today amid the continuing relay hunger strike by three protesters at the campus of the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.

In a letter addressed to FTII Students Association President Harishankar Nachimuthu, the ministry said that on previous occasions progress towards ending the currrent stalemate could not take place because students had gone back and laid stiff preconditions. The letter was written by Joint Secretary (Films) K Sanjay Murthy.

Emphasising that the ministry is fully conscious of the seminal role FTII has played in shaping Indian Cinema, Murthy said that in case the students are keen to end the impasse they can contact him.

"In case you are keen to end the stalemate and resume the academics, you are welcome to discuss the issues with the ministry without any preconditions," he said. The impasse entered the 97th day today with the students insisting on removal of Chauhan.

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