Pune: FTII Students Oppose Union Minister Anurag Thakur’s Visit
Siddhi Dharmadhikari
Pune, 5th May 2022: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday (May 5) visited the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). However, FTII students protested during Thakur’s visit. The students alleged that Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur had created social unrest during the riots in Jodhpur and Jahangirpuri and that the FTII administration was welcoming such a person.
The agitating students said, “The statement made by Anurag Thakur in his election campaign rally, ‘Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maron salon ko’ is a blow to the secularism of the country. In the current era of persistent fears, FTII has always advocated a democratic, secular and progressive environment.”
“Thakur’s visit to the organization is a threat to FTII’s legacy. Therefore, we are protesting against the statement of Anurag Thakur,” said the students. FTII students posted their views on the Facebook page ‘FTII Wisdom Tree’.
FTII Student Association released a press release on which they informed that before the arrival of Anurag Thakur in
campus the president and the general secretary of the students association faced with
direct threats from the additional secretary of the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry Mr. Apurva Chandra.
He threatened the students saying that “If we stage a demonstration then the ministry will cut off funds for the institute and go against the welfare of the students.”
In the press release the association further mentioned that “We went on with the silent demonstration as the minister entered and went around the campus. After repeated request and begging to the chairman, to the director & security officer, the student representatives managed to get an informal audience with the minister for about 2 minute while he was taking a break from his official meeting with the institute
authorities.”
“We presented our concerns on paper in brief pointers to the minister. For larger chunk of the issues he refused to comment or make any conclusive statement. On discussing on of our pointers written on the paper, he raised his voice against the student representatives. The defacement of the hoardings placed at the gate of the FTII has not been done by any student from FTII and we; the students strictly do not endorse this kind of defacement,” the press release stated further.
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