Open letter to the Chairman FTII, Dr. U. R. Ananthamurthy

Students’ Association

Film and Television Institute of India,

Law College Road,

Pune:411004

Open letter to Dr. U R Anantamurthy

                                                            Chairman,Governing Council,FTII

Dear Sir,

The students, teachers and staff of FTII have, since the beginning, expressed their anxiety regarding the study being done by Hewitt Associates. We had sought a clarification on the premise and intent of the study as we feared that it was just another garb for laying the ground for withdrawing government support from FTII.

Sir, you along with the Joint Secretary (Films), Director (FTII) and Registrar (FTII) had re-assured all present on campus that the study was being done in the true spirit that recognized the cultural and educational heritage of FTII. You had restored our faith and urged us to participate in the study without any reservations. As the chairman of the governing council, your mandate to the proposed Nair committee further strengthened our belief that everybody had the best interest of FTII in mind.

Yesterday the first meeting between the representatives of the Nair committee and those of Hewitt associates took place in the institute premises. Through the course of the discussion the Hewitt representative made it clear in no uncertain terms that he could not include the proposed changes in the DPR as they are in conflict with the brief given to them by the ministry which was regarding making the institute “self reliant”.

The question that we raise is why, at various platforms, you said that there was no hidden agenda? Why did the Joint Secretary say that the ministerial brief had nothing to do with withdrawal of government support? Why were hundreds of students, ex-students, staff, teachers misled into believing that the study was a “third party independent “ inquiry being done to address the pending issues of the institute?

We just want to ask why has everybody lied to us?

Over years you have been advocating support for tribal representation at the institute. You have demanded FTII to be declared an institute of national importance and making it more accessible to all sections of the society. Yet sir, through your tenure a steep increase in the fee structure has been taking place. A steady erosion of academic values has ensued due to inability of FTII to stand ground against the dictates of the misitry. Autonomy has been subverted and learning made subservient to notions of marketability. And all this has happened while you held post of the Chairman of FTII.

We want to ask you, how do you envision tribal representation, accessibility, and status of national importance in an institute whose main purpose is to earn profit? Which caters to only a small section of the public who can afford it?

In an age of globalization the community looks up to writers, thinkers, and visionaries like yourself to protect sanity in the face of neo liberal assault . You have inspired us with your work. It is unfortunate that you as chairman are overseeing this subjugation of FTII, which has been a central pillar in the evolution of Indian cinema.

We would like to ask you as students: What is the role of writers, thinkers, academicians and artists in society? Do they play any role in the building and preservation of communities and institutions? We hope your response will restore faith for aspiring filmmakers who are losing hope.

Sir, We would ask why you are still continuing as the Chairman? Why do let yourself be appropriated? Why do you choose to remain quiet when, in your name, the institute is treading a path which is contradictory to everything which you have expressed in public forums?

Please step down as the chairman of the institute if you can’t intervene in affairs of the institute. It will restore our faith that a visionary and educationist is not party to what we are, and will, continue to resist –with whatever means we have. We will be saved the embarrassment of telling future generations of students that a writer stood there mute as the grave for FTII was being dug. It will restore their faith in themselves as artists. It will restore hope.

On behalf of the FTII student community,

Samarth Dixit                                                                                                Naveen Padmanabha

President                                                                                                        General Secretary

Students’ Association                                                                                    Students’ Association