Pune: In letter to FTII director, alumni urge intervention in caste discrimination case

Earlier this month, The FTII students’ association demanded a reinvestigation with more transparency into a caste-related discrimination complaint filed by a former student. The complainant and the association alleged discrepancies in the way the complaint was handled, in which the professor was given a clean chit, the association claimed. The institute has maintained “appropriate action was taken as per findings.”

The letter by the alumni demands that a fresh enquiry should be set up into the matter, which should be conducted fairly by credible members, whose integrity cannot be questioned. It also demands that the concerned faculty member should stay away from being involved in academic matters till the inquiry is over.

For the last few years, FTII had been under a temporary director, but earlier this month, senior information service officer, Dhiraj Singh was appointed as the new director of the institute. It is in this light too that the letter demands urgent action in regards to the case.

The letter further read, “This entire matter shows that there is an urgent need to educate FTII’s teachers and staff on matters pertaining to caste. To address this in a broader way, we urge you to create a Faculty Development Programme that not only sensitises them but also explains the ‘Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act’, 1989, so that it becomes clear as to what constitutes such an atrocity. We hope that you will act quickly to resolve this issue in the best interests of the FTII.”