100 days of FTII strike: Weary and broke, students wary of going to Delhi again for talks

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“The 100 days of protest has certainly been a tiring experience for us. We have told the Ministry clearly that it’s not possible for us to go to Delhi for the proposed dialogue. One reasons is that we don’t have money. Secondly, we don’t feel like going there one more time. Our friends here have been fasting for the last 10 days. We have been fighting for so long. A visit is the least the Minister can do. He should see our sufferings first hand. Why is there so much resistance from their side to visit the campus once? They would certainly get a better understanding of the place if they come here,” said Harishnkar Nachimuthu, president, FTII Students’ Union.

Rakesh Shukla, a film direction student, backed Nachimuthu. “It’s easier for them to come here than for a bunch of us to go there. Logistically and otherwise. Also, our friends here have been fasting for so many days. It’s difficult for students to leave them here and go to Delhi. However, we certainly want to resolve this matter at the soonest.”

On Saturday, students organised several events, which included screenings of films made by students, performances by artists and folk singers and discussions. Several ex-students too visited the campus to enquire about the health of students who are on a relay hunger strike. Students of Hyderabad Central University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai too visited the campus, apart from students from city colleges and local activists.

Students said that apart from Pune, events and demonstrations in support of FTII students agitations were organised in cities such as Delhi, Bangalore, Patna, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Thrissur and Lucknow.

“The solidarity events will happen in several other cities in next two days. Their is a consensus among students and supporters that we should keep up the pressure until the government takes the right decision,” Shukla said.